Immortal Fate
by miLady1
Summary: A vampire confronts other immortals, only they were not her kind of immortal. Please R&R. COMPLETED, but there's been a bit of rearrangement in the chapters.
1. chapter 1

Disclaimer: Highlander does not belong to me or any of the series' ideas and characters. I just do this for fun and not to make money, so please don't sue me!

Chapter One

NEW YORK 

Again, she heard the familiar sound. Footsteps followed her. It was a moonless night and she loved it. Blending among the shadows earlier, she thought she had lost him. She knew the stalker was a male. The steps were heavy and sure. 

She first sensed she was being followed when she made a turn at Dover Street. The unmistakable footsteps of the stalker was heard a few seconds later. With a sneer on her face, she quickly eluded the man with a practice ease that would have brought any stalker at lost. But after a few blocks, she heard the steps again. It was the same man, she was sure of it. It wasn't likely she was wrong. She had a sixth sense that most people would like to have for themselves. She wouldn't know who he was, that was beyond her capability. But if, no, _when_ she catches him, she thought with a grin, he'd wish he went north instead of following her south to Gutter's Lane.

She saw her opportunity for an offensive move when she spied an upcoming alley. With a quick move, she turned in the alley and deftly grabbed hold of the hanging fire escape ladder. She pulled herself up onto the fire escape with barely any sound and anxiously waited for the man.

She wasn't disappointed when he turned into the same alley. A smile was already playing on her mouth as she prepared to leap from her hiding place. She intended to attack from behind and surprise the stalker. But unfortunately she was the one who got the shock when the man spoke.

"Come now Miss Lancaster, don't you think it's about time to put a stop to this foolish game", he said in a mocking voice with a trace of English accent.

Sarah Lancaster froze where she is, the smile gone from her face. How did he know who she is? Having no social contact with anyone in this country, it was impossible that her identity is known. Other questions and emotions passed through her mind, but the strongest of them all was the anger she felt for the man. He just can't possibly know her! 

Sarah slowly controlled her emotions and put aside the jumble of questions racing through her head. There was only one-way to get the answers she wanted and that was to confront the man. She grabbed hold of the railing and gracefully jumped off the fire escape. 

"How did you know my name? Better yet, who exactly are you?" Sarah asked the man in front of her. She was already in an attacking position. Just one suspicious move from the guy and she'll be ready to rip him limb from limb.

"I don't think that's the right question to asked me right now. Have you ever wonder how we could have possibly met seventy years ago and still be as young and alive as we were at that time?" he said with that mocking voice of his. 

All the while the man was talking, his right hand was slowly taking out a sword. As soon as Sarah saw the weapon, she knew that he was one of them. She knew all about them, have seen a couple of them, but never really interfered with anything that concerned them. Her kind had tried to separate themselves from his kind. They called themselves Immortals. She didn't know how they became what they are, but other vampires had warned her against Immortals.

The man slowly smiled when he saw comprehension lit her eyes, "Ah, I see that you now know who I am. Or should I say what I am. A pity though that you don't recognize me."

"Should I?" Sarah said nonchalantly.

The Immortal smiled, "We didn't exactly know each other, but we have met nonetheless."

"Really? I don't seem to recall the occasion. Perhaps you've mistaken me for someone else."

"I don't think so. If I'm not mistaken you already confessed to having the name of Sarah Lancaster."

Sarah cursed herself for not being more cautious. From the arrogant smile on the man's face, she could tell that he was obviously enjoying her situation. As hard as it was not to make any advances, Sarah patiently waited for the guy's next words. She didn't have to wait long.

"To answer your earlier question, I am Nicholas Ferrington. Our, shall I say, chance meeting was quite accidental."

When he got no answer to what he said the man continued to talk.

"If you'll go back to Paris, 1927, perhaps you'll recall the little sword fight in the cathedral. Yes, you do remember don't you? You were following a man, your next victim I presume? Anyway, you didn't know he was an Immortal. I, of course knew. Having tracked and researched about him for a few months, then, I could easily know him without getting too near. You probably know that one Immortal can sense another when they get close enough to each other. 

"That was how I knew you. I was watching from a distance. At first I placed you for a mere street mugger and therefore didn't give you a second thought. I probably don't need to tell you the rest since you had a fairly good idea of what happened next."

Sarah just raised an eyebrow and let Nicholas interpret that expression for himself. She wanted him to continue, but dared not say anything at the moment for fear of revealing something. She was slowly recognizing him The clothes and the different hairstyle and the fact that she didn't stay long to see who won the sword fight didn't really help much. With Nicholas standing in front of her, she could only conclude that he won and had taken his opponent's head- the only way to kill an Immortal. 

Nicholas didn't seem to be bothered by the absence of a reply and continued on, "You can't imagine my shock when I saw you, the same exact image seventy years ago, in Central Park last month." 

Nicholas walked around her, the sword still in his right hand. Good, Sarah thought. He must be afraid of her if he needed some sense of protection.

"I thought to myself, 'Could it be possible that an Immortal has finally found a way to let her presence be unknown to the others?' The concept was so intriguing that I started my research on you. It was not easy, as you probably well know. There didn't seem to be any record of you for the last two hundred years. But luck was on my side. I found your name in the last thing I would have looked for: The Vampire Chronicles. The book had a small insert about you. It was written by a witness who saw you suck out the blood of his brother almost about three hundred years ago. Wasn't very careful back then, were you?

"Anyway, a kid was doing a report on vampires and he had the book. He was turning the page when I saw your picture. The rest of course is a piece of cake."

"You of course, being the arrogant bastard that you are, chopped off the kid's head to get the book," Sarah said.

Nicholas chuckled, "I didn't know vampires have a sense of humor."

"Cut to the chase, Immortal, what exactly do you want from me?" she asked. Nicholas was only three feet away from her now.

"Well, you see, I've never really known any vampires before. I'd like to know more about your kind. And you could know about mine. I also think that we could work together. We could be invincible. You can lure the other Immortals to me. With you , they won't know what hit them. Of course you can have some of their blood just before I kill them. So, what do you think? Are we partners?" His hands were extended toward Sarah ready to seal the agreement. But she had other plans.

With fangs ready, Sarah leaped on Nicholas with lightning speed. She aimed for the throat like she usually did, but the man saw what was coming and moved out of the way. Sarah saw the sword baring down on her and quickly stepped back. But it seems that she didn't move fast enough because she suddenly felt a burning pain at her left side. Clutching her side, Sarah fell on her knees. As she went down, her right hand brushed the neck of a broken bottle. 

She turned to see Nicholas advancing on her, sword ready, "Too bad you can't see things my way, " he said to her. "I think I'm going to have to kill you now."

"You should have continued reading the book on vampires," Sarah said in a soft and angry voice. "You seem to have missed the section on how to kill one," grabbing the bottle, Sarah brought the glass to his stomach and stabbed him with it. 

Nicholas apparently didn't think she had any weapon when she saw his eyes widen with surprise. He dropped his sword and stared dumbly at the bottle sticking out his midsection. He stumbled then dropped on his knees. Sarah wanted to finish him off, but the pain at her side became unbearable. She also noticed that it's only a matter of time before the sun comes up. 

With great reluctance, Sarah run to the next street, looked back to check if the Immortal followed her. When she didn't see him anywhere she went down the nearest manhole. Once she was inside the sewer, Sarah walked for only a few yards before she fell and lay on the ground. Closing her eyes, Sarah thought only of rest. By tomorrow night the wound would be gone. With a pained smiled she thought, not for the first time, what grim luck she has for being a vampire. 


	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer: Highlander does not belong to me or any of the series' ideas and characters. I just do this for fun and not to make money, so please don't sue me!

Chapter Two

BARCELONA, SPAIN 

Three months later

The _El Toro _had more than the usual number of customers today, Richie Ryan thought as he surveyed the bar. He and his friends had just finished a motorcycle race and were celebrating. Sited beside him was the first place winner of the race.

"Hey Joshua, did you see me fly pass Richie and the others in the last five laps? Oh, man was that great or what? The rush from winning can be really intoxicating. Too bad you decided not to enter this race. The course wasn't that bad. You must have been bored out of your wits just sitting there on the stands," Marcello Sargai said, his words slurred.

"Don't you think you had enough drinks for tonight, Marcello?" Richie asked.

Marcello finished his eighth glass of beer, burped then said, "It's not wrong to celebrate a little when I just won one heck of a race." 

"Richie's right Marcello," Joshua Vasquez put in. "We know you're all happy about finally winning, but you need to be sober if you intend to ride your bike back home."

"Oh, come on you guys. Just one more drink ... on me. What do you say?" Marcello didn't wait for a reply. He stood and walked over to the bartender for more drinks. He bumped into one of the waitresses on the way, stumbled backward and almost fell if Richie hadn't been there to help him stay on his feet. Glasses shattered on the floor then Joshua was beside them in a second to support Marcello. He looped the guy's left arm around his shoulder then made their way back to their table.

"I think I better take him home now," Joshua said.

"Yeah, I think you should. I'll pay for the drinks and the damages," Richie offered.

Beside Joshua, Marcello moaned pitifully, "Uuhh ... I don't feel so good."

Joshua swore softly, "I don't know whether I'm lucky or not that I brought my car instead of my bike." When Marcello moaned again he added, "I better go before he throws up all over the place. By the way Richie, you still need a place to crash?" 

"Yeah, hope you don't mind."

"Nah, that's alright. There's an extra key for the front door inside the loose board of the porch. You might get there before I do."

"Thanks. Here," Richie handed Joshua Marchello's helmet. "Don't forget this. He just bought it and he believes it gave him luck today." 

"I'll see you later." Richie nodded and Joshua turned to go.

Richie heard his friend threaten Marcello not to throw up and shook his head, a smile on his face. He made his way to the bar and found the bartender sweeping the broken glasses. 

"Listen mister, I'm really sorry about this. My friend got a little out of control with his victory celebration," Richie told the bartender.

The man looked up with a fierce frown and said in a heavily accented voice, "You tell your friend to be more careful next time or he never gets in here again, _comprendes_?"

"Uh, sure ... sure I'll tell him. Just tell me how much we owe you for the drinks and damages."

"You wait for me over there and I tell you. _Un momento por favor_."

Richie walked to the indicated stool and sat down. He thought of how he almost died, again, when his motorcycle skidded in turn number three with only two more laps to go in the race. Shaking his head, he looked around the room and noticed a young woman walk into the bar. Except for a white shirt, the rest of her outfit was black. Black leather jacket, black jeans, and black boots. Her eyes roamed the room as if looking for somebody or something. She approached a waitress and asked her something. After some hesitation the waitress pointed to a door. The woman in black, then, headed that way and entered the kitchen.

Richie stared at the swinging kitchen door and wondered about the woman. Suddenly, he sensed the presence of another Immortal in the room and looked at the man who just entered the bar. The man had all of a sudden stopped in his tracks and looked around the room as if he too sensed something. When their eyes met, Richie was sure that the man by the doorway was the Immortal he sensed. His whole body tensed as he readied himself for whatever challenges the other Immortal may give. The man walked over to Richie, bowed his head, and then introduced himself.

"I am Nicholas Ferrington."

"Richie Ryan," inroducing himself in return.

"You seem so young. You don't seem have the essence of a seasoned Immortal. Am I right to guess that you have not been an Immortal long?" 

Richie hated it when seasoned Immortals put him down. "Listen buddy, I can take your head in no time at all," Richie said as he came up to Nicholas.

"My, such bravado. I do love it when my opponents are eager to prove to me just how talented they are," Nicholas said. "I like you, very courageous. Too bad you came with an arrogant head." He gave a dramatic sigh. "I guess we'll just have to cut off such an imperfection."

Richie had enough of what he can take. "Any time your ready old man."

"Hey! You American. You going to start a fight now? You still have to pay me for the glasses your _amigo_ broke." The bartender was fast approaching Richie and Nicholas. His face was a mask of fury.

Nicholas smiled down at Richie, "You're lucky I have more pressing business at the moment. But soon Ryan. Don't think you've seen the last of me."

"I'll be waiting," Richie said as the man walked off. He turned to the bartender and regretted it immediately. The man must have really lost his temper because he was yelling at him loudly and in Spanish. Jeesh, what a night, Richie thought.

* * * * * *

Joshua was still not home so Richie had to use the extra key from under the porch. After locking the front door, he headed straight to the guest room. He knew where everything was since Richie often stayed with Joshua whenever he happened to be in Spain.

Richie turned on the lights, dropped his duffel bag on the floor and placed his helmet on top of the dresser. He sat down on the bed and recalled his confrontation with Nicholas Ferrington.

Damn, he thought, this time he was really way over his head. As much as he hated to admit, he couldn't have been able to handle the Ferrington man. Just from Nicholas's composure, Richie could tell that he was in the same league as Duncan McLeod. And Mac had over four hundred years more experience than him.

He dropped his head in his hands and sighed, "What have I gotten myself into this time?"

He was still in the same position when he heard Joshua enter the front door. Richie got up to greet his friend.

"Hey Josh. How's Marcello?" Richie asked him.

"As well as one can expect when someone's drunk," Joshua said as he sat down on the couch. "Did you find everything okay? Need something in the bedroom? Food maybe?"

"Nah, it's alright. I just feel sorry for Marcello tomorrow. Boy, he'll be feeling lousy."

Joshua shook his head and said, "Well from the number of beer he had tonight. He'd be lucky to just have a hang over."

Richie smiled. "He didn't throw up in your car, did he?"

"No, thank God. I made him hold it. I don't know how he manage it, but right on the dot, he throws up when we reached his house."

Richie laughed at his friends expression. From Joshua's grimace, Richie knew that what happened hadn't been a good sight.

"Well, I guess I better get to bed. Big day tomorrow. You coming with me and Marcello to check out the race track in Barillo Tracks?"

"Yeah, sure. I do have a reputation to maintain."

"What reputation?" Richie joked.

The two men laughed and said good night to each other. In a few minutes the house was enclosed in darkness.

* * * * * *

Sarah hid in the shadows of a Deli store around the street corner. She slowly peeked over to the corner to check if he was on her tail. She saw no one on the street, but still kept herself hidden just to be on the safe. She felt for the bruises on her face with both hands. The bleeding had stopped and the wounds had also begun to heal. Now there's only a dull pain.

Sarah slumped on the wall and closed her eyes. She cannot believe that Nicholas Ferrington had been able to follow her. The day after her encounter with him at the alley in New York, Sarah immediately made plans to leave the USA. Everything was done in minute details. She made sure that Nicholas never followed her. She even used a different name when she bought the plane ticket. She tried so hard to be discreet, but somehow he found out that she was in Barcelona. 

Luck was on her side when she got away from him tonight. The man must be crazy, Sarah thought. Why would Nicholas waste his time coming after her? She was not an Immortal. What would he gain if he killed her? 

The man was dedicated in what he want accomplished, she'd give him that. Too bad he had to persist on killing her. And he was also catching on. Tonight he brought along with him a wooden numchuk. Sarah shivered when she remembered the pain the weapon inflicted on her face. She had never been endangered this much as long as she can remember. If he knew that anything made of wood could hurt her, then there was no telling what else he knew on what could hurt or even kill a vampire. Then even if she was able to get away from Nicholas every time they meet, she cannot do that forever. They were both immortal for crying out loud.

She opened her eyes and was surprise to find a reddish glow in the sky. Sarah panicked- the sun was coming out. She ran down the street in a hurry, looking for a place to hide. She suddenly looked up and noticed the name of the street: Monte Carlos. Without wasting any time, Sarah run down the street and turned right on the next street. She stopped in front of the eighth house on her left and rang the doorbell. She could already feel some pain on her back from the sun's heat and turned toward the sky to check to see how far up the sun was. 

"Come on . . . come on. Please be home," she said urgently as she watched the sun rise.

She heard a noise inside the house and seconds later the front door opened. Sarah turned to face the man holding the door open. He was surprised when he saw who was standing on the porch.

"Sarah? Is that you?" Joshua asked.

"Hi Joshua. I need your help."


	3. chapter 3

Disclaimer: As before, Highlander and any ideas associated with the show do not belong to me. Any character you don't recognize is most likely mine.

Author's note: I just realized that I have not thanked those who have written a reviews for my story. Thank you so much!!!

Chapter Three

Richie heard the doorbell ring. He rolled over on the bed and wondered who could be out there this early. A few seconds later he heard Joshua's bedroom door open followed by the front door. He then heard Joshua speak to whoever was at the door. Richie wanted to see if something was wrong, but did not want to leave the bed. Curiosity got the better of him so he got up and walked out of the bedroom. He opened his mouth to asked Joshua if everything was alright, but quickly closed it when he noticed who his friend was talking with. It was the woman he saw at the bar last night. She still had the same black outfit on and she was apologizing for something.

"Hey, it's no problem considering that . . . " Joshua halted when he noticed Richie standing close by. 

The woman was already looking at Richie before Joshua stopped talking. She turned to the other man and said, "I'm sorry," she apologized again. "I didn't know you had a friend over. I better go somewhere else."

"Don't be silly," Joshua said when the girl went for the door knob. He pulled her from the door and continued, "You came here because . . ." He was about to say more, but apparently changed his mind. 

Richie did not know what to do, but the woman seemed tired and in pain. He said the first thing that came to his head.

"Look Josh, I can clear my stuff out the guess room in a minute and be on my way out. It looks like she needs it more than I do."

"No . . no. Stay Richie, your my guess. And so are you," he said to the woman beside him.

Joshua remembered his manners and introduced the two to each other. 

"Um, Sarah, this is Richie Ryan. Richie meet Sarah Lancaster."

"Nice to meet you," Richie said, walking forward and extending his right hand. Sarah hesitated for a second, then accepted the handshake. "I saw you last night at the _El Toro_," he continued. He some kind of emotion crossed Sarah's face, but it was so fast Richie did not recognize what it was.

"You don't have to leave Richie. Go back to bed if you still want some sleep. Sarah can take my room. I can't go back to sleep any way," Joshua said. Richie started to protest along with Sarah, but the man kept insisting that they do it his way.

Joshua led Sarah to his room and closed the door. Richie stood there for while then went back to the guest room.

* * * * * * *

Joshua closed the door. "Here, let me take you jacket. There's the bed. Go get some sleep . . . or whatever it is that you do. The drapes are thick enough so no sunlight can reach you over by the bed." When he looked at her more closely, he noticed that she had bruises on her face, though somewhat faded already.

"Sarah, what happened?" He asked as he turned her head from left to right, inspecting the bruises. Then he remembered what Richie said about seeing her at the bar last night. "Richie said he saw you at the _El Toro_ last night. Did you get yourself involve in a fight again?"

"No . . . no, nothing like that." Sarah paused, then continued. "There's someone after me and wants me dead."

Joshua's eyes widened in shock, "What?! Is it another vampire?"

"No, he's . . . listen maybe I shouldn't be here. What if he finds out where I am? I don't want you getting involve in this. It could be dangerous."

"I know exactly what I got into when you became my friend two years ago. Now, you need to rest. Besides, there is no way you can go out there with the sun already up."

"Thanks Joshua, I really appreciate this," Sarah said.

"Hey," he said taking both her hands into his. "Think nothing of it. Remember what I told you back then? You'll always be welcome in my home. May you be in trouble or not. So why don't you rest and I'll be out of here in a minute. Just let me get some stuff out the closet."

Sarah smiled and hugged Joshua. She thanked him again and laid down on the bed. Joshua's words were the last thoughts in her mind: _"You'll always be welcome in my home."_

* * * * * *

BARCELON, SPAIN

Two years ago

Sarah looked up from the book she was reading and checked her watch. It read four o'clock - the sun was still out. She glanced around her and was thankful that the public library had very few windows. It was not as dark as she wanted, but it provided the perfect sanctuary for her at the time.

She sat at the farthest table of the library's second floor. There were only table lamps to provide for the lighting on this level, but hers was turned off and so were a few others. It did not bother her though, she liked the darkness, even embraced it. It did not matter that she was reading without the aid of any lights. She could see well in the dark, being the vampire that she is. Besides from the darkness, she also noted the usual absence of other people on this level. She was alone. Just as well, Sarah thought, I've always kept to myself.

Memories from a time best forgotten flowed into her head. Sarah was too busy with her thoughts that she did not realize someone had occupied the table on her left.

"Can you actually see what you're reading? Maybe you should turn on your lamp," a male voice spoke in Spanish.

Sarah nearly jumped when she heard the person speak. She spared him a brief glance. He was young, maybe a few years over twenty, and he's apparently going to make a nuisance of himself. She returned her attention to the book she was reading. Maybe he'll go away if she pretended she did not understand him. The young man was still looking her way. When she did not answer he repeated his question in English, assuming she understood only that language. He obviously wanted some kind of answer from her. 

"I can see just fine," she said after a while, without looking at him.

"You know," the man said, apparently not finished with her. "Straining your eyes is really bad for you. You could be practically blind in a few years if you don't stop that kind of habit."

When Sarah made no reply, he stood up, walked over to her table, then turned on her lamp. "There, isn't that better."

"What the . . .," Sarah said as light gleamed. She blinked the pain out of her eyes while blocking the light with a hand. Her eyes was not accustomed to sudden brightness. The man was starting to get on her nerves. "Go away if you know what's good for you."

"Speaking of what's good for one's self. It really isn't very healthy to read in the dark." He drew a chair in front of her and sat. "Furthermore, you shouldn't be here alone. Things happen you know. What if someone comes up to you and gives you trouble?"

"Someone already did," Sarah said in a cold voice, looking at him.

The young man laughed, "I see you have a sense of humor. But seriously, being alone up here really doesn't help much if you get mug or something. A girl like you should be around people so that someone can be there for you when you get in trouble."

That statement surprised Sarah. As far as she can remember, no one had been worried for her safety. This stranger seemed to be really concerned about her and that almost made her smile.

"I can take care of myself," she said, her voice softer.

"Ah, I see, you're one of those girls whose into karate and stuff like that, huh? Well if you don't mind, I still think that a man should protect a woman. So I'll just sit here and keep you company."

Sarah sighed and thought that the man was a regular Sir Galahad. She kind of liked him though. He seemed so different from the other humans she encountered - he was so friendly. His kindness was genuine she can tell. He was not afraid of her. He even reminded her of her brother. With a slight shake of her head, she mentally reprimanded herself to not reminisce about the past. Sarah smiled to herself and thought, if he only knew what I really am. He would be running like the others in no time at all.


	4. chapter 4

Disclaimer: As before, Highlander and any ideas associated with the show do not belong to me. Any character you don't recognize is most likely mine.

Author's notes: Sorry for waiting so long for the update. I was busy moving into a new place. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for the review sherry and for your second one DumbOldDork.

Chapter Four

The Present

Richie laid back on his bed. Sleep eluded him however and he soon found himself thinking about Sarah. He did not expect to see her again after last night, but what were the chances that she happened to be friends with Joshua. Richie frowned when he remembered the woman's behavior at the bar and the slight bruising on her face he had glimpsed this morning.

Without wasting any time, Richie got up from the bed to talk to his friend. He heard noises coming from the kitchen and headed in that direction.

"I thought you'd still be catching some z's,' Joshua called over his shoulder when he saw his friend walk into the room.

"Hey, Josh. Listen," Richie said hurriedly. "I think Sarah might be in trouble or something. Do you know who would want to hurt her?"  
"Whoa, slow down there a minute. What exactly are you talking about?"

"Come on, man! I'm talking about the bruises."

"Bruises?" Joshua asked, stalling for time. He wasn't quite sure what to tell his friend about Sarah. Telling him the wrong thing might lead to an unwelcome complication. 

"Yes, the bruises! They were only on her face," his friend answered sarcastically.

"Hey, calm down. Here." Joshua handed the other man a cup of coffee and the two settled around the kitchen table. "I asked her about that."

"And?" prompted Richie. "Is she being abused or something?"

"What? No … no, of course not. Besides I have no doubt that Sarah can take care of herself." Joshua looked at his friend closely and asked, "Why all this concern for a girl you just met?"

The question caught Richie off guard and saw the mischief in Joshua's eyes. "Yo, it's nothing like that," he quickly denied. He got up and deposited his cup in the sink as he tried to hide a tell-tale blush from his friend. 

"It's just that I saw her at the _El Toro_ last night. She didn't see me though. It looked like she was either looking for somebody or running away from someone."

"More like the latter," Joshua said without thinking.

"So, she is in some sort of trouble." Richie turned back to her friend. "Why aren't you more worried about your girlfriend?"

Joshua raised his eyebrows at Richie. "My girlfriend? Sarah's not my girlfriend."

"She's not?"

"You don't have to sound so happy about it," Joshua said with a chuckle. "But hey, it's not like I didn't try. When I first met her two years ago, I had every intention of going out with her. But alas, fate has conspired against me and thus friends we shall only be."

Richie laughed at his friend's dramatics and threw a dish towel at him. "Seriously though, what are you gonna do about Sarah?"

"Don't worry about it, okay?" Joshua said with a sigh. He stood up and placed his cup in the sink as well. "Sarah didn't give all the details, but she said it wasn't anything serious."

As he walked out of the kitchen, Joshua was not sure if he was also trying to convince himself with the lie.

* * * * * *

Sarah's eyes flew open. She surveyed the unfamiliar surrounding for a second or two before bolting up from the bed. Her body relaxed when she remembered that she was in Joshua's house. She suddenly frowned when something about this morning's encounter nagged at her consciousness. With a shake of her head, Sarah roamed the house in search of her friend, making sure to be quiet just in case his friend Richie was around. When she did not find Joshua , she grabbed the notepad on the counter and began to jot down a short message. The clock on the wall showed that it was almost six in the evening. Probably went out to eat with friends, she thought.

The note was almost complete when the front door swung open. She turned to say something, but froze instead when she saw that it was not Joshua.

"Hey, good to see you up," Richie said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she answered. Sarah tried to keep her face blank, but inside a number of emotions swirled within her.

Looking at Richie right now, Sarah realized what had been bugging her the minute she woke up. The resemblance he has with Nathan was uncanny and she could not help, but be amazed. Her vision had been hazy from the pain that morning and therefore was not able to fully register his features during her first glimpse of him. But somehow her subconscious had picked it up.

Memories long forgotten came rushing back as Sarah watched the man that should have been dead, walk towards the kitchen. She dropped her gaze when she realized that she had been staring. 

"Joshua went to go see somebody about his bike after we left the track. But he should be back soon." Richie stopped just a few feet from her. "Anyway, I got us some dinner and you're more than welcome to have some." When that failed to get a response from Sarah, Richie decided to put on the charm. "Come sit and talk awhile. You can even tell me why Josh has been hiding you all this time. Don't worry, I don't bite."

That got her attention and Sarah jerked back her narrowed eyes at Richie. The man was wearing a sport jacket over a plain blue shirt, tucked inside a pair of faded jeans. His helmet dangled in his left hand while his right arm supported a brown paper bag. Possibly the aforementioned dinner. This guy may look like Nathan, but he was certainly a few centuries ahead in fashion.

"I'm not hungry," Sarah replied with a smirk. At least not for food, she thought wearily.

"Oh." Disappointment flashed in Richie's eyes, but he quickly shrug it off and continued walking. "Suit yourself. I still wouldn't mind about having company though," he called over his shoulder.

Sarah was telling herself a number of reasons why she should just leave. Her body, however, seemed to have a different plan. She quietly followed Richie and stood by the door to watch the man that could pass as Nathan's twin. Richie had his back to her and therefore missed the sad and wistful expression that crossed her face.

Sarah quickly shook her head as the image of Nathan, laying in her arms covered with blood, flashed before her eyes. Stop torturing yourself, she angrily thought.

"Glad to see you decided to join me," Richie said, grinning happily. He pulled out a chair and indicated for her to sit down. Sarah reluctantly took the chair and sat across from him.

"So, how long have you been friends with Josh?" Richie opened the carton in front of him, looked at Sarah expectantly, then began eating.

"Two years."

"You guys meet here?" he asked through a mouthful of food.

"Yes."

"You're not from around here though, " he stated. Richie took another mouthful of his food and continued to speak when she raised her eyebrow. "Your English is perfect, but I could still hear a trace of Scottish accent. Trust me. A close friend of mine is a Scot and I know a Scottish accent when I hear one."

"Tell me," Sarah said with a frown. "Do you always talk with your mouth full?"

Richie's spoon paused halfway from his mouth as he blinked at the abrupt change in subject. He chuckled, then asked his own question. "Tell me, are you this great a conversationalist?"

The corners of Sarah's mouth twitched in a reluctant smile. "I thought I handled my end of the conversation quite well. I answered your questions, didn't I?"

"Well yeah, but one or two words from you hardly give me anything to work with. You got to help me out here." Richie wiped his mouth and gave her a friendly grin. "Tell you what, why don't you ask me questions and I'll answer them. I'll even stop eating just so you won't be distracted."

Sarah opened her mouth to return a remark, but quickly changed her mind. She could not believe that she was just about to flirt with someone she hardly knew. With her mind resolved, Sarah shook her head and stood up.

"I hate to end such a stimulating conversation," she said sarcastically. "But I've got places to be right now."

"Whoa, hold up a minute," Richie called out as he followed her to the front door. "Did I say something wrong? 'Cause if I did, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"No-no. It's not that," she interjected. "It's just that I …" She felt a deep longing within her as she gazed at the face of a man she once loved. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

Sarah hastily opened that door and fled into the night before he could say anything else. 


	5. chapter 5

Disclaimer: As before, Highlander and any ideas associated with the show do not belong to me. Any character you don't recognize is most likely mine. Enjoy!

Chapter Five

Her footsteps echoed as she walked along the dark and empty street. It's lonely sound was her companion. Her train of thought kept going back to Richie and wished she had not acted too impulsively. Sarah sighed as she remembered a time when she did not mind knowing she was alone. But all that changed when she took the chance of befriending Joshua. Now, after having met Richie, the idea of living a solitude life hade became less and less appealing. Come on, Sarah, she told herself. You already made the decision to break out of your solitary existence when you took on a friend after three hundred years.

Sarah slowed her pace before resigning to turn around. Richie, she thought. She felt the familiar ached in her heart as the man's face flashed before her eyes. Maybe, just maybe…She stood there for a while and made her decision. No harm came out of befriending Joshua, so what harm could I possibly get into if I get to know Richie more.

******

Richie sped along the road on his motorcycle and kept an eye out for a certain black clad woman. It was not an easy task since Sarah's outfit blended in with the night. After she left in a hurry, Richie also left a note for Joshua and went after Sarah. He just did not expect her to have covered a lot of ground that fast.

He headed for the park and wondered for the umpteenth time why he could not get her out of his head. His whole day had been spent thinking about her and feeling this urgency to get to know her. The young man chuckled and shook his head. You got it real bad, buddy, he said to himself.

Richie was circling the park for the last time when he suddenly recognized the presence of another immortal. He slowed his bike to a halt as a man stepped in front of him a few yards away. Great, just what I need, he thought sarcastically. Richie quickly got off his bike as the other immortal drew out his sword and advanced on him.

"Your head is mine," the man hissed out.

Richie scrambled for his sword and managed to block his opponent's sword in time. The man untangled his sword from Richie's, spun to his left and struck low. Richie countered the attack and executed a flawless sequence of his own. The two combatants separated and circled each other.

"So, aren't even gonna introduce yourself?" asked Richie, hoping to distract the guy and find a weak spot in him.

"What's the point? You'll be dead soon enough," came the reply.

Richie smiled without humor. "Indulge me."

"Very well. The name's Cyrus Magee." He leaped forward and aimed for Richie's neck. His sword sliced the air above Richie's head as the younger man ducked and rolled out of the way.

"Look man, I wasn't looking for any fights tonight. I was just out looking for someone." Richie grunted as he defended himself from a barrage of attacks.

"So am I," Cyrus commented as he eyed his opponent. "Looking for someone that is." He paused. "Ferrington's mine kid. I've staked my claim on him already. So back off."

Richie frowned as he heard the familiar name. "Nicholas Ferrington?" How did he get into this conversation, he wondered.

"So, you do know him. Like I said, that bastard's head is mine. Leave the chase to me and I just might spare your life. For now."

By this point, Richie was utterly confused and did not even bother to hide it. "Ferrington? I wasn't looking for … What would I want with him?"  
"Don't play innocent with me. We both know about the rumor how the little cheat has aligned himself with a vampire that will do his dirty work for him."

Richie stood still. Vampire? Do does things really exist? 

A snapping twig brought him out of his own thoughts and realized his mistake. He had let his guard down and now Cyrus had taken advantage of the situation. Before Richie knew what was going on, his sword flew out of his hand and he soon found himself flat on his back.

He tried to sit up, but felt the unmistakable cold tip of Cyrus's sword on his neck. He crawled backwards slowly as fear gripped his heart and then cursed when his back came up against a tree. Man, this is for real, he thought. I'm _really_ gonna die this time.

Cyrus sneered in delight as he lifted his sword for the fatal blow. However, he did not expect something or someone to ambush him from the side.

Richie watched in surprise as someone tackled the immortal to the ground. The newcomer was so fast he did not even hear the person approach. His surprise quickly turned to shock as one of the figures got up. It seemed that he did not have to look for Sarah after all. She had found him instead.

******

Sarah was walking along the bike path as she took a shortcut across the park. All was quiet until she caught the faint sound of voices. She slowly headed in its direction and noiselessly parted the bushes that blocked her view. Usually she would have just ignored such things, but her ears picked up something familiar with one of the voices.

What she saw before her made her growl low in her throat. Rage swirled within her as she witnessed Richie being backed up against a tree with a sword. Acting on pure instinct, Sarah took off and in a blink of an eye had tackled the man to the ground before he can bring down his weapon on Richie.

She quickly unfolded her body into a fighting stance and smirked as the man dazedly looked around him. Didn't even know what hit him, she thought smugly. Behind her, she heard Richie get up and walk away from them. Without wasting any time, Sarah kicked the sword out of the man's hand. Holding back her strength a little, she backhanded the guy across the face. She did not want to have to kill someone in front of Richie so she'll just have to make-do with rendering the man unconscious. A series of punches and kicks followed - too fast for the man to block. When he did not get up from her last kick, Sarah finally relaxed and faced Richie.

"Wow, Josh wasn't kidding when he said you can take care of yourself," commented Richie.

Sarah was about to ask if he was alright, but the sword in his hand stopped her short. She glanced down at the sword her opponent had dropped then back again to Richie's. Swords? They were fighting with swords? She remembered how the man had aimed for Richie's neck and comprehension dawned on her. That could only mean…

"Come on," Richie said. He took her arm and led her towards his bike. "Let's get out of here before he wakes up."

They had only taken a few steps when Sarah pulled her arm free from Richie's grasp.

"You're one of them," she said accusingly.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" He heard the hardness in her voice and did not understand why she was glaring at him.

"Don't play dumb, Immortal. I know all about your kind."

Author's notes: Phew! I think that was the longest chapter I've written so far. Sorry if the sword fight seemed a little lacking. Anyway, hope you liked it. Don't forget to review. Again thanks to my faithful reviewer DumbOldDork.


	6. chapter 6

Disclaimer: Highlander does not belong to me or any of the series' ideas and characters. I just do this for fun and not to make money, so please don't sue me!

Author's note: Thanks so much for the reviews: K'Hal the V, DumbOldDork, and Lady Cinnibar. I really appreciate the support. Here's chapter 6 finally. Sorry it took so long. But to make up for it, it's an extra long one. So enjoy! ^_^

Chapter Six

Sarah's words froze Richie right where he stood. Questions after questions tumbled within his mind as he fought to stay in control.

"W-what are you talking about?" he asked a bit shakily.

Sarah's only answer was to reach for the dagger in her boot and promptly threw the weapon with deadly accuracy. Richie stumbled backwards as he stared in disbelief at the dagger embedded in his chest. He lifted bewildered eyes towards Sarah before darkness claimed him.

Sarah watched Richie fall to the ground and instantly regretted her action. She knelt by his still form and with a shaky hand reached for the hilt of the dagger. She pulled it out and stared at the blood covering his body. Fear seized her as an eerie sense of déjà vu came upon her. She felt for a pulse, but found none.

"Idiot," she said to herself. "Of course, there won't be a pulse. You killed him."

Panic rose within her. What if I jumped to the wrong conclusion?, she thought. What if he's just a normal person and I've really killed him? No … no, he's an immortal, right? Yeah, that's right. He'll wake up and live again.

'What if he doesn't?' asked an inner voice.

"Oh God, no. It won't … It just can't happen again," she cried out in anguish and tried to shut out the memories as Nathan's image replaced Richie's bloody form.

******

England, 1797

Sarah looked out into the night as she stood by the parlor window. A smile touched her lips. He should be here in a few minutes.

"How long do you intend to keep up this pretense?"

Sarah turned around at the spoken question and faced the man who walked into the room. He was tall and dark. A gentleman in his late forties, but with the carriage of a young man. He was elegantly dressed in a burgundy velvet coat that rounded off in to two tails at the back. It was paired with beige breeches and a high collar waistcoat decorated with an intricately knotted cravat.

A dark brow rose mockingly at Sarah's annoyed look. "The boy may be gullible enough to believe your excuse of being photosensitive to light. But you cannot forever hide from him the fact that you're a vampire." He paused before sarcastically adding, "He's bound to notice a few things. A fang or two perhaps?"

Sarah glared at him. "I will do as I please, Edmund."

Edmund's mocking expression was replaced by irritation. "Oh, give it up Sarah!. It's been almost a century. Don't you think it's about time you leave such foolishness behind. Our kind do not waste time in such useless relationships."

"I love him!" she shouted.

"And will he still love you when he realizes he had fallen for a vampire!" he yelled back.

"I didn't ask to be a vampire." Her voice laced with barely controlled anger.

Edmund's face softened. "You were dying. What else was I suppose to do?" He sighed and walked over to the window. "It doesn't matter anyway. We'll be leaving the country soon. It's time to move on. We've stayed here long enough and people in the village are starting to get suspicious. It's only a matter of time until they catch on."

"No," Sarah protested. "I won't leave him."

Edmund whirled around and roared, "He's a pathetic mortal! He's merely food and an inconvenience that could be easily disposed of."

She heard the threat in his voice. Sarah slowly walked up to him, her cold eyes boring into his. "Lay one finger on him and I swear I will tear you apart," she said in a deadly whisper. 

Their silent battle was interrupted as a servant announced the presence of a gentleman caller. Sarah quickly plastered on a smile and turned to welcome the visitor.

"Nathan," she cheerfully called out as a blond young man entered the room. He was dressed in a simpler version of Edmund's attire. His coat was a dark green and his breeches were a shade darker than the older man.

Nathan Stanton walked up to Sarah and smiled in appreciation as he took in her image. She was wearing an empire-waisted muslin gown with long fitted sleeves that puffed around the shoulders. Her hair was piled high in a series of braids and curls.

He lifted her left hand to his lips as he reached her side. "You look lovely this evening," he said.

Edmund rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and walked away from the couple.

"Uh … Good evening, Sir," Nathan belatedly said to the other man a bit sheepishly.

Edmund glanced back with a brief nod at the younger man. "Stanton." He continued to walk out of the room all the while saying over his shoulder, "Well, I'll leave you children alone. I trust you'll keep my daughter safe on this little outing of yours tonight?"

"Y-yes, Sir," he answered, confused at the man's mocking tone.

"Goodnight then."

A few hours later, Sarah and Nathan happily walked by the lake. All was quiet and the moon shone brightly down on them. Nathan took this opportunity to ask Sarah what had been on his mind the whole day.

"Sarah," he said nervously. He stopped walking and turned Sarah to face him. "I know this is quite sudden, but I can't wait." He paused before hurriedly saying, "I just want to know … will you be my wife?"

Sarah closed her eyes. She knew this was coming. She just did not expect it to hurt this much. I should be happy, she thought. It's suppose to be a wonderful thing when a man asked a woman to marry him. But, no, for her it felt like she was being torn apart.

"Nathan, please, let's not ruin what we have," she said as she lifted sad eyes to him.

"B-but I thought you love me."

"I do … I do. I want to be with you always. It's just that … There are things about me you do not know."

"Like what? Tell me!" he demanded desperately. "I wish to understand why marriage between us will ruin everything! We've declared our love for each other, Sarah. Isn't it only natural that we spend our lives together?"

"I know … I want to …" Everything inside her screamed for her to just tell him the truth. He loves you. He'll accept who you are.

"Nathan I …" Sarah stopped as three drunken men stumbled out of the bushes laughing at each other. They stopped when they realized they were not alone. One of the men recognized Sarah and pointed at her.

"You," he drawled out. "You're the daughter of that Stanbrooke fellow. A weird bunch you are. Never coming out in daylight. Makes someone wonder what you might be hiding."

"Gentlemen," Nathan firmly said as he stepped in front of Sarah. "I suggest you move along now. We don't want any trouble."

"Ah, you be the lad that's courtin' this strange girl, here?" drawled out another man. "You be careful now. Horrible things has been happening in this neck of the woods. Everything points to the Stanbrooke place. Your sweetheart there could be part of it all."

"You dare to insinuate that this girl is responsible for all those crimes! Leave now, before I give you the thrashing you deserve."

"Oooh, I believe the boy just threatened us, men," the third man replied with a laugh.

"Nobody, threatens Angus Macfee," the second man said menacingly. "Harry, Doyle, perhaps we should teach the boy to respect his elders."

"Stay back, Sarah," Nathan warned as the three men advanced on the couple.

Angus charged first with swinging fist. Nathan easily blocked the punch with his arm and connected his right fist with the man's jaw. Harry and Doyle quickly double teamed their lone opponent and Nathan soon found himself being backed up towards the lake. 

Sarah, standing some distance away, felt torn between helping Nathan fight and keeping her secret. A groan from the ground caught her attention. She looked down and saw Angus struggling to his feet She focused the swirling rage inside her on the man and headed towards him. Nathan was busy with the two other men and will not see what she does.

"Since you're so fascinated about the Stanbrooke household, why don't I satisfy your curiosity," With a snarl, Sarah bared her fangs.

"Y-you're a v-vampire," stuttered Angus in fear.

Sarah barely controlled her strength as she struck Angus with a backhand that threw him at least fifteen feet away from her. She continued towards him, but stopped when the smell of blood reached her senses. She whirled around and saw Nathan drop to his knees, hand clutching his bloody midriff. Harry and Doyle wasted no time in running away. Angus, seeing his friends leave, followed suit after them.

"No!" Sarah screamed and ran to Nathan's side. She cradled him as he fell to his side. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Nathan … hang on, Nathan. We'll get you help, just hang on." She placed her hand over the wound to stop the bleeding, but more blood just flowed out. 

"Sarah," Nathan whispered. He lifted his fingers to her cheek and with his last breath haltingly said, "Sarah, I …. I love …you."

His eyes slowly closed and his hand fell away, leaving a trail of blood on her cheek.

"No … no, Nathan don't go!" she cried out in anguish.

Sarah threw her head back and howled in fury. She stood up and stretched out her senses to locate the three men. When she detected their whereabouts, Sarah growled and with an uncanny speed sprinted after Nathan's killers.

The men were crossing over a short bridge when they suddenly stopped and stared at Sarah as she stood waiting on the other side. The vampire sneered in satisfaction as fear leaped into their eyes. 

"You will pay dearly for that." Without hesitation, Sarah unleashed her fury on her preys.

Later that morning, the villagers found three bloodied and torn bodies on the bridge. And somewhere on the outskirts of the village stood the unmarked grave of a lost love.


	7. chapter 7

Disclaimer: As before, Highlander and any ideas associated with the show do not belong to me. Any character you don't recognize is most likely mine. Enjoy!

Author's notes: Hey, I finally updated. I planned to do it sooner, but unfortunately finals got in the way and with the holidays, well, things got a bit busy. Anyways, thanks for waiting. Again thanks to my reviewers: MorganPendragon - thanks for adding my story to your favorite list, DumbOldDork - I don't think you have to worry about that, Waylon Smithers - thanks for suggesting A kind of Magic. I'm still in the middle of reading it, but you're right it is a very good story, Vamp Fan - thanks so much, I'm very flattered, Stormyronin - thanks for the kind review and you can rest assure that I will keep writing until someone tells me otherwise. Now on with the story

Chapter Seven

The present

Richie woke up with a gasp. Quickly opening his eyes, he promptly sat up and placed a hand on his chest. Though he was till covered with blood, both the dagger and wound were gone.

"About time you woke up."

Richie turned his head towards the speaker and found Sarah watching him intently from the couch. He finally noticed that they were back at Joshua's house.

"How did I get here?" he asked before slowly standing up.

"I brought you here." Sarah stood up as well and walked over to the window. "I couldn't very well leave you out there in that condition. The others might be nearby," she finished warily.

"Whoa, hold on a minute. Are you saying that _you_ carried me all the way back here by yourself?"

Sarah turned to face Richie and saw the incredulous look on his face. Keeping her own face blank, she shrugged then said, "So I'm strong."

Richie raised his eyebrows in response. Sarah lifted an eyebrow in return.

"You think it's weird for a female to be strong, yet be perfectly natural for me to see you come back to life?"

"Yeah … about that," he said warily as his eyes shifted nervously. "You're not gonna tell anyone, will you?"

"Does Joshua know?" she asked evasively.

"Um … no." Richie gave her a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. "This is not exactly the kind of information we Immortals like to share."

Sarah stared at him for a few seconds before nodding slightly and headed for the door.

"Wait!" Richie called out.

She stopped and hesitated before turning around to face him.

"Listen," he began hesitantly. "I know all this must be strange for you, but …" He paused for a moment when something occurred to him. "Hang on a sec, you said you knew all about us Immortals. How is that?"

"That's not important right now. I really have to …"

"Oh, no," Richie cut in. He walked around to stand between her and the door. "You're not getting away that easily."

The door opened just as Sarah opened her mouth. Both turned to see Joshua walk through the door.

"Oh, hey! You two still up?" Joshua said as he closed the door. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed the stain on Richie's shirt.

Sarah saw Joshua tense and shoot her a look that said 'What did you do to him?' She briefly glanced at Richie before shooting her friend a 'Don't look at me' look.

Joshua shifted his eyes towards Richie. "Ah … is that blood on your shirt, man?" he asked hesitantly.

"Blood?" the other man said nervously. "Nah, man … It's …uh… it's just some food I spilled on myself. Why would I have blood on my shirt?"

Sarah heard the plea in Richie's voice and against her will she found herself helping him out. "Yeah, we were cleaning up after dinner when he slipped and spilled the dish he was carrying on himself." When Joshua still looked unconvinced she added, "It was a red sauce of some sort."

Sarah cringed inside, even she could tell how lame her reasoning was. Why am I doing this? she silently wondered. She looked at Joshua and hoped that he would just let it go. Finally he smiled weakly and again sent Sarah a silent message saying they'd talk about this privately.

"Okay, what really happened?" Joshua asked in a whisper the minute Richie excused himself to change.

"Just what we told you," she shot back just as quietly.

"Look, I know he thinks I don't know what you are. And like I said before, what you do is your business, but Richie is my friend and I don't want him mixed up in this."

"Joshua, relax. Your friend is not in any danger." Sarah turned towards the direction of the guest room, but her eyes held a faraway look. She realized the irony of what she had said when just a few hours ago she had thrown a dagger at Richie. The agony she felt while she waited for Richie to wake up was still fresh in her mind. Even scarier was the overwhelming relief she felt when she saw him breath again. When did I start caring so much for a total stranger? she mused silently. But his not a total stranger. He's …

"Nathan."

"Did you say something?" asked Joshua.

Sarah didn't realize that she said the name out loud and gave her head a shake. "Nothing, don't worry Richie's safe. I can't … I won't go through this again … I just can't."

"Sarah, what are you talking about?"

Sarah studied Joshua for a moment before withdrawing the locket that hung underneath her shirt. She unsnapped the clasp and gazed at the miniature portrait within. She hadn't looked inside the jewelry for years and now Sarah looked at Nathan's face with gentle eyes before lifting them towards the man in front or her.

"Remember when I talked to you about Nathan?" Joshua gave her a nod. "I never showed you his picture, but this is him right here."

She held the locket towards Joshua and waited for a reaction. The man gave Sarah a puzzled frown and looked at the picture.

"He looks kinda familiar," he said as he studied the miniature portrait. "Come to think of it, he looks a lot like …"

"What are you guys looking at?" a voice asked.

Joshua's head shot up as Richie walked back into the living room. Sarah watched as comprehension settled in and Joshua again looked at the locket then back at Richie.

"Nothing," Sarah told Richie as she replaced the locket underneath her shirt. To Joshua she said, "Listen, I have to go, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Sarah, hold on a sec," Richie called out.

She waited for the Immortal to approach her and tried to keep her lips from slipping into a smile. Richie was rubbing the back of his neck and scuffing his feet against the carpet like a school boy. Is he blushing?

"Hey, if you're not doing anything tomorrow, maybe you can come down to my race."

Sarah looked down and felt a rising panic within her. "I'm sorry, but I can't." Why am I nervous, she wondered. From the corner of her eyes she saw Joshua watching her closely. 

"Oh."

She heard the disappointment in Richie's voice and was surprised that she too felt disappointed. Sarah looked back at him and as their eyes met, she realized that her life was about to get a lot more complicated than it already was.


	8. chapter 8

Disclaimer: As before, Highlander and any ideas associated with the show do not belong to me. Any character you don't recognize is most likely mine. Enjoy!

Author's notes: Thanks to the following reviewers: **Aislynn Crowdaughter**: Thanks so much! I actually based my character Sarah on a vampire I read in a novel once. It was Tara something, can't quite remember her last name. **DumbOldDork**: Thank you as always, and hey don't worry about. You are after all my no. 1 reviewer. Sorry for making you wait this long though. **MorganaPendragon**: Thanks for the review and I hope you're still interested after such a long delay updating. Don't worry though, I still haven't given up on this fanfic. Well people, I hope you all have a happy reading. ^_^

Chapter Eight

Richie walked his motorcycle off the track and headed towards the garage. From the look on his face, one would never assume that he had just finished an embarrassing 18th place in today's race.

"Hey, Richie!" a cheerful voice called out. "What are you smiling about, man? You just lost!"

The blond Immortal turned to see his friend Marcello walking toward him. Right on his heels was Joshua.

"I think it's been frozen in place," teased Joshua. "He's had that smile since last night."

"Oh, really now?" said Marcello. "So you finally got a little somethin'-somethin'. No wonder you couldn't keep your mind on the race.

Richie smacked his friend on the head with his helmet and was rewarded with a painful yelp from his friend. "It wasn't like that, you pervert." Gone was the smile on the blonde's face, but he still clearly remembered what Sarah said last night, right before she walked out the door.

[flashback]

Richie nervously eyes Sarah and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, if you're not doing anything tomorrow, maybe you can come by my race."

His heart pounded as seconds passed by with Sarah just staring at him. He felt his face go warmer at her scrutiny. Nice going, Richie, he chided himself. She probably thinks you're so lame.

Finally, Sarah took her eyes off him and quietly said, "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Richie's heart sank. "Oh." He couldn't quite hide the disappointment in his voice and almost kicked himself when Sarah jerked her gaze back at him. Dammit. Quick, smile, he ordered himself. He refused to look like the rejected suitor and bravely watched as she turned to leave.

She mumbled some sort of farewell to Joshua and opened the door. At the moment all Richie can think about was to make a dignified retreat and avoid further humiliation from his friend. Sarah looked back at him suddenly and Richie held his breath as her lips curved into a genuine smile.

"But hey, maybe I'll see you around."

[end flashback]

Richie saw Marcello give him and Joshua a confused look after hearing the story from the other racer. 

"But," Marcello said, turning back to Richie. "She said 'no.' She flat out rejected you."

"I know she said 'no.' But she also said she'll be seeing me around." Richie smiled again and continued to push his bike towards the garage area.

Marcello once again looked at Joshua with a frown and quietly begged him to explain what Richie could be so happy about.

The other man just shrugged. "I guess you had to be there." He gave the confused man a friendly slap on the back and hurried after Richie.

"So," Richie said as he and Joshua packed up his gear. "Was Sarah busy today, that's why she can't make it?"

"Uh … not really. She kinda rest in the daytime," Joshua quietly mumbled.

"Rest? Oh, you mean she works nights, so she sleeps during the day?"

Joshua briefly thought about the question. He didn't like lying to his friend, but technically she does do all her 'work' at night. She needs to hunt for people's blood at night in order to live so I guess that's what she does for a living.

"Uh, yeah. She works the graveyard shift tonight, so she's resting up right now."

Richie nodded in understanding. "So how'd you two meet?"

Joshua gave a nostalgic smile. "I met her at the public library. At first I could tell she didn't like me. That's why I was surprised when she came to my rescue while some thugs mugged me." Actually 'surprised' was an understatement. That very same night, Joshua had found out that Sarah was a vampire.

"Anyway," continued Joshua more seriously. "how serious are you about Sarah?"

Richie quickly shot his friend a look. "Seriously? I'm not sure. But when I saw her, it's like… I felt like I've finally found something I've been missing. There are times when I get the sense that I've known her before." He blew out a frustrated sigh and shook his head. "I don't know, man. All I know is that it feels right to be with her, like I was suppose to have been with her way before."

Joshua watched his friend intently and saw that he was telling the truth. Richie really feels strongly for Sarah and Joshua didn't know how to break the news to his friend. He was still debating whether to tell him more about Sarah's nocturnal nature when Richie clamped a hand on his shoulder. 

"I'll promise you this though," Richie said soberly and gave his friend's shoulder a slight squeeze. "You don't have to worry about Sarah. I won't give you a reason to beat me up."

With a final pat on his back, Richie told the other guy about meeting some friends at the local bar and left. Joshua sighed. I never said I was worried about her, he thought. I'm more worried about what might happen to you.

********

Night had fallen by the time Richie started to head for Joshua's house. With a final wave to his friends, Richie walked out of the bar and headed towards his bike. He was just about to put his helmet on when he heard a muffled scream. Looking around, he saw no one, but his eyes lingered on a narrow alley half a block away. Deciding to check it out, Richie peeked around the corner and saw a man pinning someone against the wall.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Richie yelled out.

He saw the man's back tense and the head slowly lift from its bent position. Richie saw a girl's form fall to the ground as the stranger let go of the trapped body. He then focused his eyes on the man as he turned to face him.

"What the…" Richie exclaimed s he glimpse a trail of blood drip from the man's mouth. He was doubly shocked when he saw two white fangs peeking out from its corners.

Richie barely had time to recover as the stranger pounced on him with a feral growl, a staff of sorts raised high. Acting on instincts he let himself fall back as he grabbed the man's wrists and used his attacker's momentum to throw him over his head. Richie quickly got up on his feet and crouched low as he faced the other man. The stranger whirled around with a snarl, but paused in his attack as he clearly saw Richie's face under the lamppost.

"You…" the man said in disbelief. "You're suppose to be dead."

Richie momentarily felt nervous as he wondered if the man saw him die for the first time, trying to save Tessa from a mugger. He quickly racked his brain fro a plausible excuse, but his thoughts came to a halt when something occurred to him. The guy was a vampire. Can he be the vampire Cyrus told him about. If that's the case, then he already knows about Immortals. Not bothering with words, Richie just took out his sword and let the weapon speak for him.

The stranger flicked his eyes over to the sword and gave Richie a knowing smile. "So, Stanton, you have become one of _them_. I'm quite surprised we have not crossed paths this pass century or so."

The Immortal frowned at the vampire's words. "I think you've been drinking more than just blood tonight, buddy. 'Cause you're not making any sense. I've never met you in my entire 24 years much less the pass century.

"I do not know what game you're playing, Stanton," the vampire said with narrowed eyes. "But I can see that my Immortality surprises you as much as yours surprised me. So the question is, what do you intend to do now?"

"I know one thing for sure. I won't let you kill that girl."

Amusement shone in the other man's eyes as he reached for the fall staff that Richie can now identify as a walking cane. The stranger twisted and pulled at the head of the cane, revealing a sharp rapier within its hallow confines. 

"I would like to see you try." And with an agility that looked too familiar to Richie, the vampire lunged at the younger man.

Richie swung his sword down to block the strike before jumping away to avoid a fast kick form the right. He heard his opponent's sinister laughter before locking swords with him again. The Immortal gasped as the vampire's weapon slashed across his left arm and watched the other man circle around him. He had never seen someone move so fast like that aside from … Sarah. That's who he reminded me of, Richie thought. The way he moves is similar to the way she fought Cyrus.

"Come on, Stanton. Is that all you've got."

"Stop calling me that!" shouted Richie. "I told you, you got the wrong guy."

"Enough! I've decided I don't want the girl's blood anymore. I want yours instead."

Richie braced himself for another onslaught of attack, but could not defend himself long. A pained cry escaped his lips as the rapier again ripped through his flesh. His opponent took advantage of his state and in one move unarmed him. Richie fell on his knees in pain and watched his sword slide away from him. He started to lift his eyes towards the vampire, but stopped midway when he focused his eyes pass the other man's body. He forgot his own dilemma and shouted at the approaching figure, his voice reflecting his fear for the new arrival.

"Sarah, stay back! Get away from here now!"

Author's notes: I know I left you all hanging, but this is actually a part of a much longer chapter and that's why I decided to cut it in half. Don't worry, the second half is done, I just need to tweak it a bit. By the way, I've started e-mailing my readers for updates on my story so if you want me to e-mail you, please leave an e-mail in the review if you haven't written a signed review or just haven't left any. Be back soon!


	9. chapter 9

Disclaimer: Highlander does not belong to me or any of the series' ideas and characters. I just do this for fun and not to make money, so please don't sue me!

Chapter Nine

Sarah had no intention of stopping. She was not about to let anyone get away after hurting Richie. However, her feet faltered his attacker turned her way. Her anger had not diminished, but a confrontation with Edmund is not something she wanted Richie to see right now. Reaching out with her mind, Sarah telepathically warned the other vampire.

__

"Get away from him, Edmund. I will fight you if I have to. And you know I'll do it to the death."

"Still as protective of him as before, eh Sarah?" came the amused reply as Edmund himself used his mind to talk to the woman.

Richie's heart hammered against his chest as the other two secretly talked mentally. He watched Sarah and the stranger glare at each other for what seemed like forever. He didn't know what was going on, but finally the other man resheath his rapier and with a final glance at Richie walked away.

Sarah kept her eyes on Edmund's retreating back, his voice echoing in her head.

__

"What difference does it make if he's not Nathan Stanton. He's still one of them. Nothing good came of your relationship with the mortal and you're deluding yourself if you believe it'll be any better with an Immortal."

A soft groan caught Sarah's attention and she hurried to Richie's side as he struggled to his feet.

"Take it easy and let the wounds heal," she said softly. 

She looped on of his arms around her shoulder for support and quickly regretted her action. The blood from his cuts called out to her senses, the smell making her heady for a taste. Remembering that she hadn't had a proper feeding yet, Sarah turned her head away and forced down the hunger.

"Come on, let's take you somewhere safe," she offered .

Richie held back a bit. "Wait. A girl's hurt back in that alley, We have to help her. I think that man is a vampire and was drinking her blood. Could you go and check on her while I call for help?" 

Sarah groaned inwardly and debated whether to do what Richie said or just go. She didn't know if she had the will power to resist the temptation of blood. She led Richie towards the phone both before making her way back to the alley. She knelt by the girl's body and her eyes were instantly drawn to the two puncture wounds on her neck. The girl was still alive so the blood was still fresh. Richie must have gotten here just after Edmund began his feeding, Sarah thought. The girl was lucky, Edmund usually kill his victims after taking their blood. Sarah never understood why he does it. She, on the other hand, only kills when necessary and would only take just enough blood to stave off the hunger. And right now, instincts were telling her to feed. Her fangs automatically slid out as she reached for the girl's writst.

"The paramedics are on their way."

Sarah quickly backed away from the unconscious girl when she heard Richie's voice. Forcing her fangs to retract back into place, she turned and tried to act casual.

"I checked the girl for other injuries," she said softly. "The only ones I found were the ones on her neck."

Richie knelt by the body and examined the small wounds. "They're sending some police too, but I don't know what we're suppose to say about this."

"Don't worry," Sarah said as she stood up. "There's cases like this all over Europe. I doubt they'll be surprised about hers. Probably just put the incident along with the other unsolved files."

Richie watched Sarah as he listened to her. She appeared unfazed by the whole thing. But then again, she did know about Immortals, so something like this would hardly freak her out. And that made him wonder if there's more to her than he thought.

He stood up to fully face her. "You act like you've seen something like this before," he slowly. "Come to think of it, it looked like you weren't afraid of that vampire when you saw him. Do you know him, Sarah?"

Sarah did not want to lie to Richie, but telling him the truth was out of the question, at least for now. Okay try to act nonchalant. "I've read accounts like this everywhere. As for the vampire, I'm not the type of person who's easily scared off by the first sign of trouble. You were in trouble so I stayed to help."

"Yeah," he said with a small chuckle. "Josh did say you actually came to his rescue when he was being mugged."

Sarah tensed slightly and asked, "What else did he say about that night?"

"Nothing. Just what I told you."

The paramedics chose that moment to come, causing Sarah to sigh inwardly with relief. She did not like how this conversation kept turning into unexpected surprises.

********

Richie opened the front door and stepped aside to let Sarah walk in first. 

"Glad that was over," he said as he closed the door behind him. "Hey Josh, you home!"

"He's not here," Sarah automatically answered. Her ears hadn't picked up a heartbeat as they approached the house.

"How do you know that?"

Sarah gave herself a mental kick. She saw Richie giving her a puzzled look. Why do I always let my guard down whenever I'm around him? "His bike's not on the drive way."

He continued to watch her. "Well, yeah. It's in the shop, remember?"

"I didn't see the bike or the car, so I assumed he wasn't home." He still looked unconvinced. "Besides, it's too quiet, you know how Joshua is with his music."

Finally the blond just let it go and headed for the kitchen. "You want something to drink?"

"No, that's okay," she answered distractedly. She stayed where she was debating whether to stay or to go. I can't believe I'm actually nervous, she thought.

"Hey, I thought Josh said you were working tonight?" Richie asked from the kitchen.

"Um … I got off early."

"Good," Richie said as he came back in the living room and gave her a charming smile. "Then you can stay and hang for a while." 

Sarah absently took the can of soda he held out towards her and nodded. I forgot how good he looks when he smiles like that. They both sat down on the couch and talked. Richie did most of the talking. And for once Sarah was actually focused on something else other than the gnawing hunger within her. She even caught herself laughing a few times. Something she had not done for a very long time. 

"You know what," Richie said suddenly. "Something just occurred to me. Remember Cyrus?" At Sarah's hesitant nod, he went on. "Well, he said something about another Immortal aligning himself with a vampire. Do you think that man was the vampire Cyrus was talking about?"

I thought we've finally left this behind, she thought wearily. Sarah lost her jovial mood as the conversation again touched a subject she loathe to talk about. It also reminded her painfully that she was the vampire in question, even though people seemed to conveniently forget to mention that she had rejected Ferrington's offer. Richie was getting way too close to that truth and she did not know how the Immortal will react once he finds out. Sarah panicked. What if he found out about her and believed the rumors. He'll probably end up hating her. She did not want to lose him a second time, specially not this way. Not after finding him again. 

"Can we not talk about this right now?" she pleaded and quickly thought things over.

Richie saw her troubled look and dropped the subject. "Okay, how 'bout we talk about our plans for tomorrow?"

Sarah frowned. "I'm sorry. What?" 

"Why don't we go for a ride somewhere- anywhere you like," he said with a smile. "And maybe have some dinner before I drop you off to work? Sound good to you?"

Problem momentarily forgotten, Sarah asked with a smile. "Did you just asked me out on a date?"

His expression became serious. "Yeah. I really like you, Sarah. Something about us being together fits so right. Please say yes."

Now it was her turn to become serious. "I'd really love to, Richie, but … I can't." She quickly got up, thinking things were moving way to fast and that she still have to figure out a way to tell him.

"Did you say something?"

Sarah realized she must have mumbled her thoughts out loud. "Nothing … it's nothing."

"You sure? I thought I heard you say something about things moving too fast. Is there something you want to talk about first?"

Both of them heard the front door open, a sound that made Sarah sigh in relief and Richie curse in frustration.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Joshua said casually.

"You got lousy timing, you know that?" Richie told his friend.

"It's alright," Sarah said as she quickly headed for the door. "I have to go anyway." And with a hurried goodbye walked out the house.

Richie sat there with his head in his hands, groaning quietly.

"Sorry, man," Joshua offered. "Did I ruin something?"

"Nah, it's okay." Richie leaned back on the couch and looked at his friend. "It's just that I can't help but notice that Sarah seemed to be hiding something from me. You're her friend, right? Is there something in her past that's keeping her from getting to close to anybody? Did she get hurt in the past? I mean you must know something about some of her past relationships?

Joshua saw the desperation on Richie's face and took pity on him. "From what I know, Sarah has only loved one man in all her life. But don't worry, I could tell that she really like you, though."

"So what happened to this guy? Did he leave her?"

The other man was silent for a while before continuing more softly. "No, he died. Killed right in front of her eyes."

"No kidding," said Richie in shock. "So who's this guy anyway?"

Joshua yawned and walked towards his bedroom. "No body you know," he said tiredly over his shoulder, thinking nothing else but sleep. "Some English man named Nathan Stanton."

Richie frowned, why does that sound familiar. Suddenly it struck him. Didn't the vampire keep calling him 'Stanton.'  


Author's notes: Okay, I know I said this was the second half of the previous chapter and it is. But after editing it, I ended up adding more stuff to this and decided to just turn it into a chapter of its own. Anyway, hope you guys like it. Don't forget to review. Thanks to: **MorganaPendragon: **thanks so much for another review. I really hate cliffhangers, but I seem to be doing a lot of it lately. By the way, I had trouble e-mailing you, and other readers, for updates, so if it's not any inconvenience on your part, could you maybe tell me if the one on your profile is the right one. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. 


	10. chapter 10

Disclaimer: As before, Highlander and any ideas associated with the show do not belong to me. Any character you don't recognize is most likely mine. Enjoy!  


Author's notes: Wow, I can't believe it's been a year since I've started this fic. And I'm still not done with it! Gotta do something about that. Hopefully I can wrap it up by the end of this summer now that I'll have some free time. Anyways, thanks you all for waiting for this update. Thanks to: MorganaPendragon: Yeah, about the cliffhangers .. I really should stop doing that. But thanks for another review! And about he whole e-mail thing … totally up to you. I respect your wishes, but yes my e-mail address is posted if you decide to send me yours. DumbOldDork: Thanks, happy to always oblige you! Well, here's the next two chapters. Hope it meets your approval ^_^. Okay readers, on with the story. Happy reading!  


Chapter Ten

Joshua leaned against the wall of the abandoned building. At least to passersby it was just another run downed warehouse, but Joshua knew that at least one person resides inside the building. He watched the last ray of sunlight disappear from the sky and waited. He did not have to wait long before a figure emerged from the darkened structure.

"What are you planning to do about Richie?" he quietly asked.

Sarah stopped right next to him, not a bit surprised with his presence. "I don't know," she answered truthfully.

He had waited a few days before approaching the vampire and discussing with her, her choice of action. "Well, avoiding him is certainly not getting either of you anywhere," he said with annoyance. "It just leaves me to deal with one very depressed man. Not to mention distracted. He almost got himself killed yesterday."

Sarah tensed and worried over the possibility of Richie fighting with another Immortal. She was envisioning a sword slicing through his neck when she heard the rest of Joshua's story.

"… if I hadn't been there to pull him out of the way, that truck would have made a pancake out of him."

The dark-haired vampire relaxed a little. (A/N: I don't think I've given Sarah a hair color early on in the story, but I've always imagined her with black hair. So that's that I guess.) Trucks, she was not worried about, the Immortal could easily recover from that. Though, that would be a little difficult to explain to their friend, she thought with a small smile. 

"Where is he now?"

Joshua rolled his eyes and pushed away from the wall. "Where he's been the last few days - out on the streets, hoping to see you around."

She gave him a thoughtful nod then began walking out into the night. The man followed suit. Both were silent for a while before Joshua spoke again.

"Listen, Sarah, I've never seen Richie like this before. I feel sorry for the guy."

Sarah stayed quiet as she discreetly scanned the streets for her next meal. Hmm, not a lot of people out tonight, she thought as she kept half an ear to what the man was saying.

"Look, I know you're not completely unaffected by this whole thing," continued Joshua. "Richie does look like Nathan. Plus if you believe in all those reincarnation stuff, you could say he _was _Nathan in a different lifetime. I mean, every time he mentions you all he can say is that there's this connection between you two, like you've been together before and were meant to be together forever."

Joshua briefly glanced at his silent companion, before continuing with his one-sided conversation. "I don't really know how this reincarnation stuff works, maybe you two are soul mates and will continue to keep on meeting until you both finally get things right. I know you can live forever. But Richie… well… think about how many times the poor guy will have to get reborn before he finally-"

Joshua was forced to stopped short when a hand suddenly clamped over his mouth. He turned his eyes towards the hand's owner and found himself staring at a scowling Sarah.

"Sometimes I forget how that mouth of yours can keep on going up to the point of becoming a nuisance."

Joshua swatted at her hand in mock anger. "I'll not try to get offended by that remark, considering that this mouth managed to talk its way into becoming your friend when we first met in the library."

"Get to the point, will you?"

"I think you should tell Richie the truth."

Well, that's something I did not see coming, Sarah thought in mild surprise. "You want me to tell him everything?" she asked dubiously.

"I know it sounds like a bad idea. But look, if you tell him about Nathan, I'm sure he won't freak out as much about you being a vampire. It's a chance for the two of you to be together again."

Sarah bit back a sigh of frustration and simply said, "It's not as simple as that."

She turned away from Joshua and continued to walk. If she had meet Richie sooner, she might have done as Joshua suggested. But thanks to Nicholas Ferrington, half the Immortals on Earth might already want her dead and that may include Richie.

"Why?" asked Joshua. "Why isn't it simple? What could he possibly do to you?"  
"Put a stake through my chest, cut off my head, burn me to ashes. Take your pick."

Joshua frowned at his friend's impassive remark. "You know he wouldn't do that."

Sarah did not say anything and in the silence the unmistakenable twang of a crossbow was warning enough for her body to instinctively push Joshua and herself out of the way.

Joshua grunted when he hit the pavement and then gasped when he saw a wooden arrow protruding from the vampire's right shoulder. He looked around and saw that Sarah had safely pushed them into an alley. Whoever shot at them will not be able to see them for now.

"Sarah are you okay?" he asked in concern. He watched his friend groan painfully as she placed a hand over the wound.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded. "Who would shoot arrows at us?"

"Well, Sarah, my dear," a voice called out. "What do you plan to do now? You can't hide there forever."

Both of them tensed at the sound. Sarah cursed when she recognized the voice of their attacker.

"Nicholas," she hissed out in anger.

"How does it feel to be the hunted instead of the hunter," Nicholas continued. "I'm quite surprise you failed to detect me right away. I figured the arrow would catch your attention."

Joshua turned questioning eyes towards Sarah. "Who's Nicholas? Is he a vampire hunter?"

"No," came the soft reply. Sarah came to stand as close to the opening as she can without being seen.

She reached out her senses and try to pinpoint the Immortal's location, but frowned when it took more effort than needed. The poisonous effects of the wood was beginning to run through her blood. Sarah look at the arrow, grabbed a hold of the shaft and braced herself as she pulled. She couldn't prevent a low moan from escaping her lips when pain rippled from her shoulder.

"Sarah!" Joshua cried out in alarm. He quickly went over to her and inspected the would. Satisfied that no splinters were left, he took the arrow and examined it. 

"This guy really knows what he's doing. If he's not a hunter, then what is he? Another vampire you have a grudge with?"

"Worse. An Immortal."

The vampire's voice was so low, he was not sure if the heard right. "Immortal? Is that what you said? What the hell is that?"

Sarah lifted her head, eyes glazed with pain. "Someone who'll probably won't let you live once he finds out you know what he is. You better leave Joshua. I'll take care of this. I should be able to distract him long enough for you to-"

"No," her friend cut in. "Are you crazy?! You can't fight in your condition."

"Don't worry. It may hurt now, but the wound will heal."

"Not without proper rest. Look we both need to-"

"I said go!" Sarah commanded with a shove. Then in a blink of an eye Sarah disappeared in a swirl of dark mist.

Nicholas Ferrington slowly made his way towards the vampire's hiding place. He dare not take his eyes off of the only escape route she has, knowing that his prey can move quite fast.

"You didn't think I'd go down that easily, did you?" asked a voice behind him.

Nicholas froze. Before he can completely turn around to face his opponent, Sarah kicked the crossbow out of his hands. He was berating himself for not anticipating Sarah's move when she delivered a spinning kick to his head.

The Immortal hit the side of a car with a groan, but quickly got up. He pulled out his sword and grin with evil satisfaction. Sarah had a hand over one shoulder as she staggered to keep her balance. It won't take long now, Nicholas smugly told himself. 

"I almost feel a bit sad that out little chase will soon come to an end," he told Sarah with a sneer. "Tell you what. I'll give you the honor of dying like us Immortals. Yours is one head I wouldn't mind adding to my collection."

Sarah quickly dodged as Nicholas swiftly advanced on her, sword slicing near her neck. When he swung his weapon straight down, she slipped to her right and with her left arm grabbed the lowered wrist to keep the sword down. She elbowed him right on the nose with her other arm before planting another kick on his chest. She bit back a scream as her body protested at her actions. However, she couldn't help a weak smile from forming on her lips as she saw the Immortal stumble backwards, a hand cupping his bloody nose. 

The black-haired woman saw movement from the corner of her eyes and felt some relief when she saw that Joshua had taken advantage of the fight and ran as he retreated to safety. She turned her attention back to Nicholas, but was too late. In the few seconds she had looked away, the other man managed to reached the crossbow that lay close to him. With a wooden arrow in place, the Immortal aimed the weapon at Sarah's chest and fired.


	11. chapter 11

Disclaimer: As before, Highlander and any ideas associated with the show do not belong to me. Any character you don't recognize is most likely mine. Enjoy!  


Chapter Eleven

Richie turned the corner frustrated, but kept his bike at a slow pace. His eyes continued to search the streets for Sarah behind the helmet. He had spent the last three days looking for Sarah. When Joshua refused to tell him where she lived, claiming he was not sure if Sarah would want him to know that, the young Immortal had taken to the streets, hoping he would be able to spot the girl somewhere.

He would not have been as frustrated as he was right now if this feeling of urgency inside him had not been eating at him. His morning began normal enough, but as the day wore on, for unknown reasons, Richie began to feel anxious and he had a distinct impression that it had something to do with Sarah. The need to find her was so great that it was starting to drive him crazy. I have to find her, he kept telling himself. Before it's too late.

His last thought took him off guard. Where did that come from. But deep inside he trusted the validity of that subconscious thought. Richie did not know what he will be too late for, but it felt as if his soul was screaming for him to hurry for Sarah's sake. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost did not see the figure that dashed right in front of him.

The blond managed to turn the bike in time and screech to a halt. He turned to see the man stumble in his surprise and grab his leg when he fell down awkwardly. Richie removed his helmet, got off the motorcycle and hurried over to the injured pedestrian.

"Josh!" he exclaimed in surprise when he recognized the man on the ground. "Jeez man, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to the road. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," his friend said heavily. "I think ..[pant] ..I ..[pant].. twisted my ..[pant].. ankle though."

Richie examined the ankle and saw that it was starting to swell. "You're right, it looks pretty bad." He took a closer look at the other man and saw that his friend was really out of breath. "What are you doing running around like that anyway?"

"Had too ..[pant].. Sarah told me to-" Joshua realized his mistake and quickly clamped his mouth shut, but it was too late.

"Sarah?" Richie quickly asked. "You were with Sarah? Where is she?"

"Look, Richie, I don't think -"

"Dammit Josh!" Richie cut in. "Where is she?!" The anxious feeling he had all day has just seized his heart and he felt the cold seep deep into his bones.

Joshua saw the panic in his friends eyes and something else he could not quite describe. Somehow he knew that there was no deterring his friend from finding Sarah.

"A few blocks down the old _Mesa_ drive," conceded Joshua. "Near the old warehouse."

Richie stood up to leave, but stopped when Joshua held him back for a while.

"She's hurt Richie," the other man said quietly. He hesitated for a few more seconds before continuing. "There's someone after her. She was distracting the guy so I can get away. Help her if you can… she's a good person, Richie. Remember that, no matter what."

Richie frowned at his friend's odd comment, but quickly assured him that he will take care of Sarah. The Immortal looked around and saw some teenagers standing close by, curiously watching them. He hurriedly told them to call for help for his friend and then immediately took off on his bike. When he got closer to the warehouse, Richie cursed and sped up even faster. He had just sensed the presence of another Immortal.

********

Sarah fell on one knee, her right hand automatically covering the gash that the arrow left on her left arm as it graze by. 

"What the …" she heard Nicholas exclaim in surprise.

She looked up and squinted through watery eyes to see what made the Immortal miss his target. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Nicholas struggling with Edmund. She realized that the other vampire must have appeared just in time to attack the Immortal before the weapon was fired, making him miss.

Edmund had one arm around Nicholas's neck while the other restrained the arms holding the crossbow. The vampire was just about to sink his teeth on the Immortal's neck when the latter managed to elbow the other man and throw him over his shoulder. Edmund tucked and rolled away in one fluid motion, rapier at a ready as he stood up. Seeing his opponents choice of weapon, Nicholas threw the crossbow aside and quickly picked up his sword. Sarah saw the Immortal tense for an attack, but suddenly pause and look around as if he had heard or sensed something. She instantly recognized the reaction and warmed Edmund.

"Edmund, another one's coming!"

The other vampire did not need the warning, he too recognized Nicholas's action. He quickly attacked his opponent, intent on killing him before anymore of his friends decide to join the fight. The two were soon engaged in an arduous battle. Sarah looked around for a weapon and found and old steel rod near by. After finding it good enough to go against a sword, she took a position a few yards away from the combatants. She kept a close eye on the fight, but at the same time scanned the area for the other Immortal.

Sarah's ears picked up the low rumble of a motorcycle and her eyes darted in the direction it was coming from. She drew her weapon in front of her, wincing slightly as her wounds stretched at the defensive stance. The vampire warily watched the rider stop and get off the bike. When the man removed his helmet, Sarah did not know whether to panic and be angry or feel happy and relieved to see Richie.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Sarah lowered the rod, feeling very tired suddenly. "You have to leave now."

"No, I won't! Josh said someone was trying to kill you." Richie saw the blood covering her and cursed. The clash of metals caught his attention and he turned to look behind Sarah. His face showed his surprise when he saw who were fighting.

"You!" he said to both men.

Edmund and Nicholas untangled their weapons and cautiously circled each other. The latter gave Richie a dark look. "The vampire's mine, Ryan," he warned threateningly. "Stay out of this."

Richie glanced at the Immortal's opponent and assumed Nicholas was talking about the vampire he fought with a few nights before. Well, he sure did not have any problems with that. 

Edmund gave Richie a brief glance. "Get Sarah to safety, Boy," he told the young man quietly, his eyes staying trained on his opponent.

Richie gave a start when the vampire called Sarah by her name. How does he know her, he silently wondered. He was doubly surprised when the woman beside him responded in kind.

"No, Edmund!. I can't leave-"

"Sarah, stop being so bloody stubborn and leave with the boy!" he cut her off. "Stanton," Edmund called out to the younger man, not knowing what other name to call him. "Get her out of here now. She needs to rest."

"No!" roared Nicholas. "I haven't finished with her yet. Nobody's taking her away!" 

The Immortal charged towards Sarah and Richie, but found his path quickly blocked by a determined vampire. Edmund swung his rapier down at Nicholas then followed the action with a thrust. Nicholas had no choice, but to continue his duel with the other man.

"Come on," Richie told Sarah. "I'm taking you to the hospital." He did not know if she can ride the back of his motorcycle in her condition, but he had to get her somewhere fast.

"No," she said, grabbing his arm. "No hospitals."

"But you're seriously hurt." He saw her expression and gave up. "Fine, is your place close by?" he asked instead.

She nodded, but quickly shook her head. "No, he knows where I live."

He helped Sarah get on the bike then hopped on himself. "We'll go to Josh's then. You think you can make it until we get there?" Sarah gave him a weak nod.

"Hold on tight then," he said as they drove off.

Sarah tightly wound her arms around Richie's waist and laid her head on his back. She was so tired and hungry. Right now, however, rest seemed to be more of a priority. She did not know how she managed to stay on the bike, but moments later, she found herself being led into Joshua's guest room.

Richie helped Sarah lay down on the bed and told her that he'll be back with the first aid kit. He turned to leave, but stopped when he felt her gently take hold of his hand.

"Don't bother with it," she said, fatigue evident in her voice. "They'll heal."

"What are you talking about? We have to stop the bleeding and clean the wounds."

No sooner had he said the words, when he noticed that the skin around the wounds were starting to seal off under the torn fabric.

"What the…" he said in surprise.

He instinctively pulled away, but Sarah firmly kept a hold of his hand.

"Please… don't," Sarah pleaded. "Don't go. Just stay. Stay with me."

Her eyes began to close and soon she was fast asleep. Richie stood still. Just before her eyes closed, he saw the desperation and fear behind those lids. A strong sense of déjà vu hit him. He had seen those eyes hold the same emotions before. But he was not looking down at them. He was looking up at Sarah as she desperately cried for him not to go.

__

…I love you…

The words seemed to echo in his head. Richie did not think, he just acted, compelled to do what seemed natural. He drew closer to the bed and laid down next to Sarah. Her body unconsciously moved nearer to him as he pulled her in his arms. He closed his eyes and slept. He did not know what happened tonight, and he had so many questions he wanted to ask Sarah. But right now, all he cares about was the completeness of it all - having Sarah back in his arms.

Author's notes: Alright people, time to tell me what you think. I'll be tying everything up in the next chapters. Don't know yet how many more I want to make, but I will definitely not drag this out any longer than it is. I finished my other fic at seventeen chapters and I'm guessing this story will finish with chapters around that number. Thanks, till next time! 


	12. chapter 12

Disclaimer: Highlander does not belong to me or any of the series' ideas and characters. I just do this for fun and not to make money, so please don't sue me!

Author's notes: Okay, this time I have good reason for making you all wait. I wanted to finish the story before I update again. Sorry for rearranging the chapters though. I hope you all found your way around to this chapter without any trouble. Anyways, I'm so happy I got to finish Immortal Fate and I hope you all like it. And thanks to:

****

MorganaPendragon: I'm really glad you enjoy reading my story. Although sometimes I think it lacks a bit of substance. As for Sarah telling Richie anything, well… I'll let you find out for yourself. By the way, I see you've finished Isolophobia. Nicely done! **Trecia**: I don't know why your review isn't up on the review page when I got an e-mail notification from FF.net saying you reviewed. But thanks for reading my story. And I'm glad you liked it. And I did finish it, thanks for the encouragement. ** DumbOldDork**: You really are too good for my ego, you know that? I can't thank you enough for all your reviews. And yes, I've noticed that the site seemed to have some problems lately, but don't worry, I think you already sent me an e-mailed review anyway.

Well on with the story. Happy reading! 

Chapter Twelve

Wakefulness slowly crept into Richie's consciousness and his eyes fluttered open. Events from last night drifted back to his mind as he carefully looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms. Richie noticed that strands of her black hair had fallen across her face. With a smile, he gently brushed them aside. Sarah turned towards his hands, but remained asleep.

Richie watched her sleep peacefully for a minute or so. In fact she was so still that the blond could have sworn that the sleeping woman next to him was not breathing at all. If not for the fact that he just saw her move earlier, Richie would have panicked and think she was dead.

After a while he carefully untangled himself from Sarah and sat up. Her body shifted as if seeking for his warmth. The movement immediately drew Richie's eyes to Sarah's wounds - or rather the area where the skin had sealed off the wound. Questions that assailed him last night again danced across his head.

__

Why did she have the ability to heal herself?

How did she know the vampire from last night?

What did an Immortal like Nicholas Ferrington want from her?

The young Immortal wanted to wake her up and demand some answers, but willed himself to be patient. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and saw that it was a little pass eight in the morning.

I guess there's plenty of time for Q & A later, Richie thought to himself as he quietly stood up to walk over to the window. He drew one side of the curtain open and let some sunlight flood into the room.

The sound of a startled hiss and frantic movements were suddenly heard from behind. Richie spun around and saw that the bed was empty. His eyes shifted and found Sarah crouched against the far corner of the room.

"… Sarah?"

Sarah swallowed the panic that rose in her throat and risked a glance at Richie from behind raised arms.

"The sun … don't let it in … the curtain, pull it …" She gave another hiss as the Immortal moved away from in front the window, exposing the room to more sunlight. If possible she tried to push herself against the wall even further.

"Sarah what's wrong?" Richie asked with concern as he walked around the bed. He reached out his left arm towards her, the watch glinting as it caught some of the sun's ray.

Sarah snapped her eyes shut and growled at the pained induced by the brightness. Anger suddenly swelled inside her. Why doesn't the idiot see that the sunlight was hurting her. Hunger and panic fueled her anger and Sarah failed to control the beast within her the second Richie touched her on the arm. With a snarl, the vampire took Richie's wrist in a vise grip and quickly stood up to forcefully push the man against the wall. Sarah's mouth was barely inches from his neck when she caught herself. Her head moved away in an instant and with a glance she saw the stunned expression on the Immortal's face. She next noticed the terrified eyes he had trained on her mouth. Sarah belatedly realized what Richie was looking at and with it a different kind of panic set in.

Throwing the blond man away from her, Sarah turned her back on him and touched her forehead against the cool surface of the wall. Sharp fangs slowly retracted back inside her gums, her body forcing itself to calm down. 

Richie' mind whirled as he digested what he had just seen. Fangs. Weren't those what was peeking out from the corners of her mouth? 

"Wh-what exactly are you?" he asked, scared that he already knew the answer.

Sarah turned anxious eyes towards the Immortal. "Richie …" she began and took a step forward. The young man involuntarily stepped back, making the vampire halt her progress.

"You're one of them aren't you?" he said softly, answering his own question. "It's all starting to make sense now. How I never see you during the day, the way you fought Cyrus, how your body can heal itself, and your reaction to sunlight just now."

Richie paused to let out a hallow laugh. "Not to mention the fangs … a vampire. I can't believe that I …" He closed his eyes and swallowed the rest of his sentence. Maybe if he did not voice it out, he wouldn't have to face the truth. But as he reopened his eyes and stare at Sarah, his previous thought came unbidden to his mind. I can't believe I was falling in love with a vampire.

Sarah meanwhile decided to give it another try. "Richie, let me explain." She nervously licked her lips. "I wanted to tell you … I tried to tell you, but I was scared you'd react like this."

"Well, how did you expect me to react?" Disbelief slowly gave way to anger as another thought struck him. "You can't really expect me to take this calmly, did you? Not when word about a vampire helping out an Immortal kill other Immortals is out on the streets."

Richie gave Sarah a hard stare. "So, which one of you is it? You or that Edmund guy?"

"Edmund has nothing to do with this."

"That leaves you then. You're Nicholas's partner." The blond spat out. "So, was I your first victim?"

"No!" Sarah quickly denied. "It's not like that at all! Would you listen to me. I was never-"

The sudden banging of the front door against the wall startled Sarah into silence. The noise was quickly followed by Joshua's anxious voice.

"Richie?! Richie were are you?" Joshua appeared inside the doorway, relief showing on his face as he spotted both of them. With the help of his crutches, he hobbled inside the room.

"Thank God you're both alright. I was so worried.I couldn't leave the hospital until this morning and -"

Richie had grabbed his friend's arm and backed him away from Sarah. The other man gave him a confused look. 

"Richie, what are you …"

"Stay away from her, Josh. Sarah isn't exactly what you think she is."

Richie missed the pained expression on the vampire's face when she heard his words. Joshua looked over at Sarah and suddenly realized something.

"Sarah, are you crazy?! Why are you out during daylight." He gave Richie an urgent shove towards the window and told him to pull the curtains close.

The blond man fixed wide eyes on Joshua. "You know," he said, his voice barely a whisper. He looked from Joshua to Sarah then back again to his friend. "You knew how I felt about her and you didn't tell me?"

"Look, man, I'm sorry. I didn't know how …"

"Richie, please," Sarah pleaded. "Just let me explain everything."

The Immortal started backing away. "No, just stay away. The both of you, stay away. I need to …" He ran a hand through his hair, not sure what to do exactly. He looked back at Sarah and felt so torn. Part of him wanted to be angry at her for what she was, but a part of him longed to take her in his arms and erase the anguish displayed in her eyes. In the end, he did the only thing he could. Without saying a word, the young Immortal ran out of the room.

Sarah ran after him, calling out his name. She stopped in the middle of the living room and helplessly watched as Richie stepped outside. She stood and stared with unseeing eyes at the open door, heedless of the pain that the sun's brightness was causing her eyes.

Joshua limped across the room and softly closed the door. He turned back and regarded his friend with sad eyes. In all the two years he had known Sarah, he had never seen her looking so lost at that moment. He drew nearer to the vampire and laid a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake. The black-haired woman blinked and focused a blank look at the man in front of her.

"I lost him again," she murmured in defeat. "I don't know which hurts more. Him dying in my arms or him running away because I'm … because of what I …"

A strangled sob left her lips and Sarah sank to the floor, letting the tears come. Her friend awkwardly kneeled in front of the vampire and let her cry on his shoulder. He rubbed her back comfortingly and thought of how he was going to fix everything.

******

A few hours later, Joshua stood along his darkened driveway. He hit the ground with one of his crutches out of frustration as Sarah vanished into the night. He had managed to convince the vampire to rest that morning, hoping to talk to her once she wakes up. It did not occur to him that the girl would just leave the minute the sun set.

He had been fixing himself a sandwich when he heard the sound of the front door opening. He immediately left the kitchen and saw Sarah leave the house. The young man hurriedly limped after her outside, but found that the vampire had already disappeared.

After cursing his inability to go about searching for either one of his friends, Joshua reluctantly walked back inside his house. He was only a few steps away from his front door when he suddenly felt a presence behind him. He turned around and almost stumbled as he awkwardly backed away.

Joshua anxiously looked at the imposing figure before him. "Ah … can I help you?"

The man spared him a brief glance before settling his gaze on the house. "She's not here. But her scent lies strong within your house."

It didn't take long for Joshua to assume that he was referring to Sarah. "She just left." He paused and cleared his throat nervously. "Um … you must be Edmund. Hi there. I'm Joshua, Sarah's friend." The man debated whether he should offer his hand in greeting to the vampire, but in the end decided against it just to be safe.

"Sarah's friend?" Edmund repeated, his brow rising mockingly.

"Yeah, she stops by here once in a while. Just to hang out." Joshua let out a nervous chuckle. "That's probably why you said her - scent, was it? - was all over the place."

Cold eyes bore into him. "How do you know my name?"

"Sarah told me. Well, actually she would tell me stories about her life as a … ah … you know, vampire. You matched the image I have of the guy Edmund that she talked about."

Joshua noticed a couple of curious faces looking out from his neighbor's window and hastily asked the vampire to go inside his house. "I think it's better to continue this conversation without any audience."

Edmund hesitated, but gave a slight nod before following the other man inside. The latter was surprised that the vampire actually agreed. He didn't know if the man conceded because he really wanted to finish their talk or because witnesses will not be able to see him take his blood. As if reading his mind, Edmund spoke.

"I'm actually quite curious as to why Sarah would waste her time on mortals such as…" Edmund trailed off just as he stepped inside the doorway. Joshua thought he heard the man say the name 'Stanton' before continuing to precede inside.

"So, it would appear that Stanton also 'hangs out' here as you call it?"

The young man frowned. "Stan- oh you mean Richie. Yeah, he's staying with me for a while, but how did you …"

"Oh we've met," answered Edmund nonchalantly. "So, where's that accursed Immortal?"

"Immortal?" Joshua remembered Sarah describing Nicholas as an Immortal, but what does Richie have anything to do with it. 

Edmund saw the man's brows furrow in confusion and smirked at him. "It would seem we have much to talk about."


	13. chapter 13

Disclaimer: As before, Highlander and any ideas associated with the show do not belong to me. Any character you don't recognize is most likely mine. Enjoy!  


Chapter Thirteen

Richie watched the amber liquid slosh against the side of the glass as he swirled his drink absently. He had spent a good deal of the day just walking around aimlessly, trying to figure out how to handle the situation he got himself into. When all he got was a headache, the blond decided to stop by the _El Toro_ and dull the pain with a few drinks. Maybe even forget about this whole dilemma with Sarah.

So here he was staring at his first order of whiskey that he had barely touched and still no where near to fixing his problem. Richie put the glass down and rubbed his face with the palms of his hands.

"Let me guess. Girl problem, right?"  
The Immortal drew his hands away and saw that the voice belonged to the British bartender. Must be a new one since he had never before seen anyone else tend the bar aside from Emilio. Richie did not know if he was up to spilling his guts out to a total stranger at the moment and just gave the other man a noncommittal nod at the hopes of being left alone.

"Fell in love with another fellow, did she?"

Richie frowned. Nope, guess he will not be getting his privacy. 

"Nah, nothing like that," the blond said with a sigh.

"Must be real complicated then if you'd rather think 'bout it than drink your whiskey."

"You have no idea," Richie mumbled absently.

"Well, answer me this. Does the girl love you?"

At this, the Immortal paused to think. It was true that Sarah had never said anything about her feelings along that line, but he was sure she did not dislike him. She admitted to wanting to spend time with him. Plus she did save his life, twice if he remembered correctly. Then there were her eyes from last night, or rather the emotions behind them. He would never forget the desperation in them. The fear of losing him somehow. Richie realized that they held the same expression this morning before he ran out of the house.

He looked up and saw the bartender waiting expectantly. "I'm not sure, but all her action seem to point that way."

"Guess it'd be too much to ask for details, eh?" the other man asked when the blond did not continue to elaborate. "I guess the only question you need to ask yourself is, do you love her?"

Richie blinked at the question. His mind went back to the thought he had just that morning after discovering Sarah's secret. He was not falling in love with her, he already loved her. Somehow he knew that he had always loved her. How many times had he said that they were meant to be together? The thought of losing Sarah sent waves of pain lacing through his heart. Rubbing his chest unconsciously, the Immortal focused on the man behind the bar. The dumbstruck expression on Richie's face quickly changed to one of calm assurance. 

He smile at the other man and said, "Yeah, yeah I do."

"So, what's the problem?"

Sarah's anguished eyes flashed before him and Richie quietly cursed himself. He checked the time on his watch and hastily left the bar. If he hurry, maybe he can fix this mess he created. 

I won't leave her again. Richie frowned at the thought. Again? When did he … Damn. Richie wished he had considered taking his bike when he left Joshua's house this morning.

******

Joshua and Edmund eyed each other, contemplating what each had said to the other. The former finally let out a long breath and leaned back into the couch he currently occupied. The vampire's eyes narrowed as he studied the other man's calm demeanor.

"You seem to be taking all this quite well," Edmund said slowly.

"Hey, your kind exist, so why not a bunch of Immortals that go around hacking each other's heads off." Joshua smiled wearily. "Guess that explains a lot. I can't believe Richie never told me any of this. I can be trusted. I mean, look at Sarah. I kept her secret, didn't I?"

"A mortal, a vampire, and an Immortal." Edmund mockingly smiled at Joshua. "Quite a group you have, eh?"

It was Joshua's turn to give the vampire the narrow-eyed look. "What about you? You have no problem accepting that Richie is the reincarnation of Nathan?"

"I've lived long enough to witness the occurrence of such things. I just never expected him to be reincarnated as a damn Immortal."

"I know you never approved of Nathan Stanton. And I got the impression that you're also not very fond of the Immortals. But I swear, if you do anything to Richie-"

"You'll what?" interjected Edmund with a snort. "You'd be dead before you can lay one finger on me."

"Can't you just let them be together? Their love is obviously strong enough that it brought them back to each other again."

Edmund continued to stare coldly at the mortal before him. A moment later, he cocked his head slightly to one side and said, "Hmm, perhaps this would be a good time to put that threat of yours to a test."

Before Joshua can ask about what he meant by that comment, the door burst open and Richie rushed inside. He stopped short just a few feet away from where Edmund stood. Trying to catch him breath, the blond Immortal could only stare at the vampire before him. Anger and jealousy boiled within him as he remembered the man's intent to kill him and his apparent closeness to Sarah.

Joshua had already grabbed his crutches and was moving to stand between the two mean just as Richie said, "What's he doing here? Where's Sarah?"

Even though the Immortal had not taken his eyes off of Edmund, Joshua knew that the terse question was directed at him.

"Take it easy, man. He just came by to check up on Sarah."

Richie fixed his eyes on his friend. "So where is she?"

"Long gone I'm afraid," Edmund answered for Joshua. "You are lucky I was not the one that killed your sorry ass over two hundred years ago. Because from what your friend here told me about your behavior this morning, I would have given you a far more excruciating death for a reaction such as that had Sarah told you the truth then."

"Look, will you cut the crap already!" Richie yelled at the vampire. "How many times do I have to tell you there is no possible way you could have known me two centuries ago."

Edmund turned to address Joshua. "Well, are you going to enlighten your little friend or shall I?"

Richie shifted tense eyes between the two men in front of him. They finally fixed on Joshua when he began to speak.

"Richie, do you remember the conversation we had about the man Sarah loved?"

"Yeah, you said something about him being the only one she's ever loved and how she saw him die. I think you said his name was Nathan Sta-" The Immortal quickly broke off and again found himself looking at Edmund. He had never understood why the vampire kept calling him 'Stanton.' But why would the other man think he was Sarah's dead lover?

"Why … why would you think I'm him?"

"Because you are, you dolt," came the exasperated reply from the vampire. "You are his reincarnation."

The blond man looked at Edmund dubiously. He had not given reincarnation that much thought. Mac and the other Immortals he knows had lived through several lives but that was because of their immortality. But why didn't he become an Immortal then if he had already died two centuries ago? Why die then and be reborn as an Immoral later?

"Listen, Richie, I don't know why you didn't become an Immortal on your first death," Joshua told his friend as he seemingly picked up on Richie's thoughts. "Maybe you weren't meant to be an Immortal, but somehow Fate thought she needed to give you and Sarah another chance. And this time you have all the time in the world to get it right."

Edmund frowned. "Do you really believe all that sentimental crap you spew about?" he scornfully asked the young man.

Joshua gave the vampire an annoyed look before turning back to Richie. "You are Nathan Stanton. I've seen his picture and you're his spitting image. Look, you said it yourself, something about being with her seems familiar and right, remember?"

Richie could not deny what his friend said. There were times when his subconscious would take him to the verge of some faint memories he cannot grasp. Maybe there was some truth in what Joshua said. Being the reincarnated Nathan Stanton would explain a lot of the things that has happened in the last few weeks. 

He gave his friend a nod and a suspicious look at Edmund. "What exactly is your connection to Sarah?"

Edmund raised an eyebrow at the jealousy he detected in the Immortal's voice. "I'm the one that sired her."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"He's the one that turned her into a vampire," Joshua explained.

"I am more than that," Edmund was saying. "Her father and I grew up together and had known each other well. On his death bed, he asked me to be Sarah's guardian. He made me promise to keep her safe, not knowing that his best friend had just turned into a vampire. 

"I failed to keep that promise when she had a riding accident. Her injuries were extensive. I did not think at that time, all I felt was the guilt. So I did the only thing I knew how at the time. I turned her into a vampire so that her body would heal itself. She hated me after that. But we're all that we have of each other."

Edmund smirked at the blond man. "No need for all this jealously. My relationship with her is strictly that of a guardian towards his ward."

Richie and Edmund stared at each other, trying to see if the other is worthy of trust. Joshua looked from one man to another before clearing his throat.

"Um guys … sorry to break up your little starring contest, but I just remembered something." When he had both men's attention, he then continued nervously. "All this talk of guardianship got me thinking. Is Sarah safe out there by herself. I mean, somebody did try to kill her last night."

Edmund swore and said, "That was why I came looking for her. I wanted to make sure she was alright and get her out of here before Ferrington shows up again."

"You mean that bastard's still alive!" exclaimed Richie.

"Unfortunately. He escaped before I could finish him off."

Richie ran a hand through his hair and warily looked at Edmund. "Okay, I say we call a truce and look for Sarah. I think at this point, working together is best."

The vampire hesitated for a moment, but eventually inclined his head in agreement. Richie nodded in return and headed outside for his motorcycle. He gave a startled pause when he noticed Joshua following him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Going with you, what else?"

"Josh, you have a badly sprained ankle and I don't think -"

"Can it, Richie. Sarah's also my friend and I want to help. I'll hop to where she is if I have to."

Richie blew out a frustrated breath, but let the other man ride behind him on his bike. They then discussed possible places where she could have gone to.

"Sarah's probably feeling really down right now," Joshua thought out loud. "Knowing her, she'll want to be by herself. So where can she go that's totally isolated?"

"A winery," Edmund said after a few seconds of silence. "Sarah grew up near a winery and she would always go there whenever she gets upset."

"Hey, the _San Sebastian _winery is only about three miles from here."

"I should have thought of that sooner," the vampire muttered and within seconds vanished into a swirl of mist.

"Whoa … did not see that coming," Richie said in amazement.

Joshua chuckled lightly. "What? Did you expect him to turn into a bat?"

"Actually … yeah."

"Dude, you watch too much T.V."

"Well, they always did connote bats with vampires."

"Whatever, man. Just try not to say anything like that in front of Sarah. It really ticks her off."

At the mention of Sarah's name, the Immortal remembered the task at hand and hurriedly drove off towards the winery. 


	14. chapter 14

Disclaimer: As before, Highlander and any ideas associated with the show do not belong to me. Any character you don't recognize is most likely mine. Enjoy!  


Chapter Fourteen

Sarah slammed against the wall hard, then slide to the ground with a groan. Blood trickled from her broken lips - courtesy of Nicholas's backhand. She gingerly stood up and immediately regretted doing so when the man's foot connected with her back. Should have stayed down, she thought as she fell back on her knees in pain.

"What's the matter Sarah?" Nicholas asked above her. "Haven't regained your strength yet?"

Sarah did not say anything, knowing the Immortal was correct. This was the second night she had not fed her body a single drop of blood and it was taking its toll. Her mind went back to the guard she stopped outside the winery and mentally kicked herself for not taking his blood. 

Guilt made her stop from sinking her teeth into the man's neck. Knowing that she will be the monster that Richie thought her to be, Sarah quickly released the man and entered the winery. She was just not expecting Nicholas to show up. In the state she was in right now, the Immortal had no problem gaining the upper hand.

Nicholas's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "So how should we do this? The classic stake through the heart technique or a beheading? Personally I prefer the second choice. Had more practice with that, you know."

Sarah pushed herself up and gave a half-hearted attempt at the punch aimed for his face. Her opponent easily blocked her fist and delivered a punch himself on her stomach. Nicholas laughed while she double over in pain.

"If I know any better," the man said lightly. "I'd say you actually want me to kill you."

The vampire looked at Nicholas with a blank face. She never knew it would all come to this. Even though she hated what she had become, Sarah had never given in to despair and continued to strive for the best. But losing the one she loved again because of what she is was something she was not prepared to handle. Maybe subconsciously her body had chosen to let go, to give up on any hope left. The peace that oblivion will bring her sound so soothing right now. With her mind made up, Sarah stopped struggling and received each blow from her opponent without a fight.

Sarah bit back a groan as Nicholas's last kick laid her flat on her back. The Immortal soon appeared in her line of vision, a stake in his right hand. Twirling the piece of wood with his fingers, he roughly pulled her on her feet and slammed her against some crates.

Keeping a forearm across her throat to hold her in place, Nicholas contemplated the stake he was holding. 

"You know," he said slowly. "I think I'll take my time in killing you."

He looked at Sarah and placed the tip of the weapon above her heart. "I want to see the fear and pain on your face as I slowly push the stake into your heart."

Sarah wearily closed her eyes and waited. A choked cry escaped her lips as the stake broke through her skin. She felt the Immortal's body tense as if preparing to push the wood in deeper. But suddenly the pressure on her chest was gone. Without Nicholas's arm pinning her against the crates, Sarah's body pitched forward.

The sound of two men struggling with each other reach her ears and Sarah forced her eyes to open.

"Edmund …" Sarah breathed as she saw the older vampire once again fight with Nicholas.

"Argh!" screamed out the frustrated Immortal. He took his sword out and readjusted his hold on the stake as he advanced on Edmund. "If you insist on interfering all the time, then suffer the same fate as hers and die!"

The vampire instinctively reached for his cane, but curse when he remembered that he had left his weapon at home. Edmund jumped back and narrowly avoided the Immortal's sword as it swung down on him. He then raised an arm in time to stop the stake's descend to his chest. His eyes scanned the area for something he can use to defend himself with, but found nothing. 

Edmund tightened his hold on Nicholas's wrist and moved to twist the man's arm. The other man screamed in pain and Edmund gave a satisfied grin after hearing the audible snap of his opponent's shoulder joint. However, he had not expected the man to spin around right away and thrust his sword forward in one fluid motion.

The vampire stared in disbelief at the sword embedded in his abdomen. Nicholas pulled his weapon free and forcefully kicked him on the chest.

"Edmund!" Sarah screamed as the guardian crashed into some barrels and stayed down.

With an almost manic glaze in his eyes, Nicholas turned to watch Sarah stand on unsteady legs.

"No more delays!" he yelled out, reversing his hold on the sword. "This ends now!"

"No!"

The shout penetrated through Sarah's clouded mind and a new set of fear coursed through her body. She turned her head and saw Richie running towards her, his eyes however were trained on the other Immortal's movements. 

She too then focused her attention on Nicholas and everything suddenly seemed to happen in slow motion. Nicholas lifted the sword and speared it straight at her. She tried to move out of the way, but her battered body will not obey. 

"Saaraah!"

Sarah again turned to look at Richie. She saw him dive in front of her and stagger as the sword impaled him on the chest. His body sank to the ground just as Joshua came limping into view.

"Richie, no!" he yelled, vocalizing the words that were trapped in Sarah's throat.

The girl fell on her knees and took the young Immortal's hand in hers. A choked sob finally escaped her lips. "No … Richie … please d-don't leave me again."

"Idiot," came Richie's soft voice. He gazed into Sarah's tear-stained face and between shallow breathes said, "…never leave you … came back, didn't I?" The corners of his lips quirked up. "Don't worry … I'll be alright in a few hours … promise I'll see you then … love you."

"I … I l-love you, t-too," she replied brokenly.

Joshua dropped next to Sarah just as Richie's hand became limp between hers.

"He'll be okay, right?" he asked, his face pale. "After all, he's an Immortal. He'll come back to life later on , right?"

"Not if I take his head."

Sarah and Joshua looked up. Nicholas slowly walked towards them, the stake once again in his possession.

"Love-sick fool," he sneered, referring to the fallen Immortal. "Who'll protect you now, now that daddy-vampire and your poor Romeo are both out of the way."

"You should never underestimate our kind," came a voice behind Nicholas.

The Immortal whirled around and came face to face with Edmund. His head whipped back towards Sarah who was slowly rising to her feet, cold eyes burning with rage. He again focused his attention on Edmund and in desperation threw the stake at the older vampire. He caught the wood in midair, an evil grin touching his lips. Nicholas's eyes widened in fear and he slowly backed away from both vampires.

"I am going to enjoy tearing you limb from limb," Sarah said in a deadly voice, her hand now grasping the man's own sword.

Joshua watched as both vampires bared their fangs. Ignoring the pain from the wounds they had sustained, the two growled low in their throats and as one leaped at the unfortunate Immortal.


	15. epilogue

Disclaimer: Highlander does not belong to me or any of the series' ideas and characters. I just do this for fun and not to make money, so please don't sue me!

Epilogue

One month later

It was just after dusk when Richie walked up to Joshua's car and placed his bags in the trunk. He was about to close it when a quiet voice spoke close to his ears.

"You're not planning on leaving without me, are you?"

The young man gave a startled yelp and spun around, a hand over his heart. "Geez, warn a guy when you do that, will you?"  
"Where's the fun in that," Sarah said with a playful smile. "Besides, you look cute when you're all surprised." She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her lips to his.

Richie encircled her in his arms in return. He deepened the kiss as he felt the familiar warmth spread across his heart. Sometimes he can't believe how lucky he was to have found Sarah. There were times when he thinks this was all a dream and panic sets in. But Sarah was always there to lovingly remind him that they were finally together again.

After clearing everything up with Sarah, Richie had asked her about Nathan. He saw the guy's picture and was amazed at the uncanny resemblance he had with the Englishman. Then there were the stories Sarah told him of her time with Nathan that struck a familiarity with him that he just cannot be deny. It was like remembering a dream you had the night before, but can never recall the exact details. Richie now had no problem accepting the fact the he was that man in another life. Maybe it really was fate as Joshua had said that brought them back together.

Richie shuddered at the thought of almost losing Sarah a month ago. The black-haired vampire gently broke off the kiss and looked up at her lover with concerned eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answered with a tender smile. "Just thinking what I'd do without you."

Sarah returned the smile and buried her face in his chest. "I love you."

The young Immortal rubbed his palms up and down her back. "Not as much as I love you," he said, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Aw, man," Joshua said as he neared the couple. "Can you guys save all the lovey-dovey stuff until you're both alone."

Sarah lifted her head and offered a smile at her friend. Joshua blinked, then shook his head.

"I still can't get use to seeing a smile on your face instead of your usual brooding expression."

"Hey, are insulting my love?" asked Richie in mock anger.

"Whatever, man." He turned to address Sarah. "Did you finish talking to Edmund?"

The vampire's face grew serious. "Yeah. He doesn't think it's a good idea for me to be around other Immortals. He's still trying to get use to Richie."

The said Immortal frowned. "Well, if you're going back to America with me, I don't see any other choice. Mac's my best friend. There's no way I can hide you from him or the others."

Sarah looked at him and massaged the blonde's tense shoulders. "Hey, take it easy. Things are just moving a little too fast for him, even for me. My kind have always kept away from your kind. And just last month, an Immortal tried to kill both Edmund and me. Besides, he never said he was against it. He's just worried is all."

"At least over there he won't be breathing down your necks like he's been doing the last few weeks," Joshua offered his friends in encouragement.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Richie gave the girl beside him a sharp look. "Sarah, you did make him promise to leave us alone, right?"

"I tried. But knowing Edmund, he'll probably pop in whenever it fancies him."

"Look, you guys," interrupted Joshua as he glanced at his watch. "We better get going or you'll miss your night flight." He slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.

Richie closed the trunk and saw a bit of nervousness leap into Sarah's eyes. He ran his hands down her arms unit they held each other's hands.

"Ready?" he asked, a little nervous himself.

Sarah nodded and whispered as if to herself, "Everything's going to be alright. As long as we're together, I know everything's going to be fine."

"That's my girl," he said with a chuckle. He gave her a light kiss on the lips and then looked deep into her eyes. "You know what? This is the first time I'm actually glad I get to live forever. Now that I have you by my side, I get to love you for eternity."

"Same here, my love," Sarah replied softly, her love shining in her eyes. "An immortal fate never sounded so good to me as it does right now."

Author's notes: Well, that's it everybody. I hope you all liked my story. Thanks for putting up with me and I hope I didn't confuse anyone with all the changes I made. Anyways, I would like to again thank all those who have read and reviewed my story. I really appreciate it and I wouldn't have finished this fic without your encouragements. Bye you guys! It's been fun ^_^.


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